My latest Photoshop Adventures..

I do event creative photography on the side.....check out my wed-site (lol).

Mir's Magic Moments Photography....

How Movies About LOVE and LOVERS Ruin Relationships....

I love my husband.

Now.... he's not the romantic type...in fact he's not at all romantic.....

He's never bought me flowers except for once, has no idea how to go about buying a gift for someone, and sometimes does not even remember REALLY important dates.....unless reminded.

But having grown up more of a realist and shunning all things cheesy and over-the-top I have never really thought "romantic" men desirable at all. In fact just the opposite has been my experience. Deep inside I always thought, "If they have to try so hard, then they are not being themselves." Just as I've always thought myself most beautiful without makeup for its truth and honesty about what I really look like, I have always valued the bare truth over false facades of all kinds.... This "suspicion" of all skewed representation of self extended even to the way they chose to live, dress, even who they'd talk to. The showy-er the man the more unattractive they seemed to me.

If you watch a lot of movies about love and lovers though you can easily come to think such a relationship where a man is not constantly pouring his love onto you is not worth saving, and indignantly move on in search for greener pastures. This is very sad, for movies have a way of setting up these fictitious, unnatural and unrealistic expectations for all our relationships creating unnecessary tension. We never stop to ask, will a man who loves us to "death" really make us happy? Or, in true love, does intensity really have a place? As taught in nature, suns that burn hottest die faster. If love is felt intensely, then can it really be love? In that case, where does the laundry fall in this intense world of love?

Okay ladies, perhaps there is a guy out there who knows just the right combination of poetic words to say after an argument, or one that can plan a 4-course dinner and bring you flowers on your anniversary date and somehow manage to make it all a surprise. But if you create a tight list of MUSTS and SHOULDS, you miss out on the list of existing gifts your mate already possesses. For example, my husband does all the laundry in the house, even rinses out Nora's washable poop diapers by hand and does it many times a week. He's the only man I know among my family who actually sits and plays with his kids (for hours too)....not just 20 minutes as you rush to pass them on to someone else. He's always the one to load all the food perfectly in our bags when we food shop, has more patience than a saint and is the more self assured person I know. These are just a few gifts I've discovered in my relationship and in remaining open and without my tight list of MUSTs and SHOULDS, I find more and more gifts daily.

Aside from what the movies say, love does NOT HAVE TO come wrapped in roses and poems. Let's drop all preset expectations and start seeing people outside of boxes and labels. A new world will reveal itself ....If you are open to accept what is or not there without a battle....you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

I am not saying to let go off all expectations. Obviously the man must respect you, and love you and vice versa....but love has many forms and sometimes we crave the type of love that burns intensely, like in the movies.

With this said, I have come to learn that in marriage, as in any relationship, we must fall in love twice for it to work out....FIRST we fall in love with the person we think we know, then SECOND (and this is the one that will make it or break it)....we must fall in love with the person they really are....

Just Finished Editing Out 21 People from A Picture

If you have a picture you'd like me to work on, e-mail me at Miriam@MirsMagicMoments.com. To see samples of my work go to my website, www.MirsMagicMoments.com. To see images you can enlarge to check for clarity go to: http://mirsmagicmomentsphotography.shutterfly.com/

Got THREE Wedding Photo Contracts this Weekend!!!

I feel bad that I have not been posting this whole weekend. But I have been meeting with potential event photography clients all weekend. I was able to successfully book THREE wedding photography jobs for the coming year this weekend and I could not be happier! 

You can view my event photography site, 

Mir's Magic Moments Photography 

at 

www.MirsMagicMoments.com. 

To view enlarge-able samples of my work 

go to my 

shutterfly album. 

Color Splash----A Great Gift

As you may know I wear many hats. I am a teacher, an artist and a wedding photographer. I absolutely love photographing weddings. I often create fun color-splash images in Photoshop for my clients and give out free 4x6 prints. I chose one of my favorite pictures of my daughter and colored-splashed her eyes and headwrap. To see my wedding website go to Mir's Magic Moments at www.MirsMagicMoments.com. To see samples of my photographic work go to my online album at Shutterfly. 

If you have a picture you'd like me to color splash I charge $10/each through pay-pal. I can have the image sent to your nearest pharmacy within 1 day in whatever size you request. All you need to do is purchase a frame and you have a most amazing gift! 

America's Obsession with BLING questioned...

So we are in a recession. People are lessening their expenses, and being forced to live a simpler life in order to make ends meet. In the middle of all this, two nights ago, I am looking for a channel to help me relax as I  nurse Nora to sleep. I catch a show on WEtv, none like I've seen before called, Platinum Weddings. It's not a new show by all means, it's just the first time I've seen it. This program showcases couples who spend extraordinary and unbelievable amounts of money on their wedding.  As I watched an entire show something about it bothered me, yet I could not quite put my finger on it. 

Aside from the obvious thoughts that could pop up such as, "With that 130K, someone could pay for an entire house"....etc....there was another idea that began to take form. The idea of the unquestioned fascination with BLING as being an unquestioned American obsession. The most, the biggest, the loudest seems to always win out over any other paradigm. Does it?  Does money really bring happiness? 99.9% of the population will say "No, material objects do not bring happiness" yet, still drool at the sight of a fancy car or act amazed at hearing about some celebrity's extravagant spending spree. These ideas of materialism's empty promises are as old as I am, yet I think most people do not really believe them. Deep in our core, we still value ourselves by how much we can frivolously spend. 

I was told once by a very bright principal of a school I worked in 4 years ago, "If you have a problem do not come to me unless you have a solution." My solution to this show would be to change it's focus. I would love to see a show called Creative Weddings.  In this show people of all walks of life, people who are more like you and me, make their day special. As a naturally creative person who places supreme value on creativity over expense, I do not see any merit in buying a chandelier worth 30 thousand dollars for a one time event; what is creative about that?!!   I do on the other hand find merit in a couple that thought up some incredibly unique way to make their day stand out without all the expenses. If you open your mind, beauty does not come dressed in diamonds....beauty is everywhere.