Martha Swann Photography

Happy Monday guys and gals!

Well the countdown continues with only four more days till party time! I’ve already bought my fake rats, pumpkins, and other miscellaneous decorations (a relief since most of commercial America has decided it’s now Christmas!), and now it’s time to stock up on candy :) Personally, I’m a huge fan of candy corn (…not the weird chocolate kind). What do you guys think? What did you all hope for in your plastic pumpkin heads when you were small?

I have been absolutely in love with the foliage this year, and the time I spend on the road lets me soak it all up on a pretty regular basis! So while I spent last weekend in NYC with my family, that also translated into 8 hours in the car driving up and down Rt. 17 enjoying the pretty reds and golds of the Catskills! Too bad the weatherman told me it’s supposed to snow next WEEK! Yikes! I guess I’ll have to be adult-like and go get some snow tires and a shovel. (I spent most of last year “shoveling” with my feet. A particularly difficult task when your car is stuck in 3 feet of snow…)

Now that they only have one daughter left at home, my parents have quite the social schedule! It seems like every time I head back to Utica for a visit, they’re having a dinner party or trying out a new restaurant… It puts my social life to shame, but I can’t complain when I’m eating this well ;) This time around they introduced me to Pier’s and Blake Steakhouse, and it was fabulous. Can’t go wrong with autumn  squash bisque–ever. It’s totally worth a visit if you swing by the downtown area! P.S. I hear some of my girlfriends are already planning their weddings there… ;) You know who you are!!

In addition to dinner with the family this weekend, I was also lucky enough to spend some quality time with Miss Cara and her fiance Rob! You won’t want to miss their library inspired engagement session–not to mention their wedding next year at MWPAI! (Yes, I am squee-ing with joy as I think of that. Of course!) Check out a sneak below–there will be more on the way shortly :)

I’m off to finish planning my costume and eating testing the halloween candy (!) To spice up your pre-Halloween week, I submit, for your amusement, Hyperbole and a Half–a fantastic blog written by the always hilarious Allie Brosh. Her dogs reminded me constantly of Mr. Spock (especially the simple one ;) and every time I discover a new favorite post/essay of hers, it ends up being my new favorite. There’s lots to explore but I’ll leave you with my latest discovery–one I think most of my friends and fellow freelancers can relate to ;)