Look Park

Took a walk around Look Park in Northampton today after dropping off my kids' carpool at school. I haven't been there for a while, and didn't realize the the Willow Lake dredging project had already been completed. The lake now looks to be in great shape. The bandshell by the lake makes a great location for weddings, if you're looking for a beautiful spot outdoors. And if you don't want to travel to another location on your big day, the Look Park Garden House is a great place to have a reception.

Bat Mitzvah Video

On Saturday, I was in Florence, MA taping Olivia's Bat Mitzvah. The service was at Beit Ahavah (they use the Florence Congregational Church), and the reception was at Mill 1 at Open Square in Holyoke.

It's always nice to return to Beit Ahavah. Rabbi Riqi Kosovske leads an inspiring service. It was my first time at Mill 1 in Holyoke, and I enjoyed videotaping in the space, which is a large, open, brick-walled room in an old factory building. Klezamir provided great music, there were games for the kids, and there was a photo corner where the kids could get pictures taken while dressed up in crazy accessories.

Amazing Designer

Just finished up a quick video for an amazing Northampton designer, Jon Schluenz. Jon does fantastic interior design and artwork, and needed a video to apply for a reality design show.

Check out his website if you need interior design work and to see some of his artwork. He also recently curated an art show at Whoo Space in Northampton.

Smith College Panel

I was at Smith College last night, videotaping the panel discussion Beyond the Smith Bubble:
True Stories of Life After Smith. It's part of an ongoing series under the Women's Narratives Project, and it's been very interesting.

First Churches Northampton

Northampton regained a beautiful wedding venue when First Churches Northampton reopened after a long, 2 million dollar repair project. If you're looking for a location for your Northampton wedding, you'll want to have this on your list of places to see.

Speakers' Bureau Demo

Did a quick job last week editing together some clips for a client in Las Vegas. He was putting together a demo DVD of public speaking appearances for submission to a speakers' bureau. His producer is from Northampton, so it was convenient for her to drop in for approvals at various stages of editing.

Bridal Show

Sunday I'll be at the Day of Elegance Bridal show at the Garden House at Look Park, in Florence, MA. The show is run by CJC Events. I'm running a special offer during the show: anyone who books with me at the show will get a custom engraved iPod nano pre-loaded with their highlights!

I haven't done a bridal show in a couple of years, so we'll see how it goes.

The Hotel Northampton

Back at the Hotel Northampton again tonight, always a great place for a reception. Downtown Northampton, Massachusetts, across from the cool Calvin Theater, where many national acts pass through. And just a ten minute drive from my house!

The happy couple today was Laura and Jeremy. Got married at the Abbey Chapel on the Mount Holyoke College campus. Abbey Chapel has wonderful stone architecture and great acoustics—a real hidden gem, if you're looking for a wedding location. In years past, I had taped a couple of Mount Holyoke College concerts there, including an excellent production of Mozart's Requiem.

Pictures to come...

In the crouch

So I'm working on a montage of photographs for Valley Women's Martial Arts' 30th Anniversary, scanning about 200 photos. Here's my favorite image from the batch:


The woman in red looks perfectly balanced and at ease—and yet ready to spring! And the woman in the upper right is not only a black belt, but also the poet laureate of Northampton. VWMA is an amazing dojo in Easthampton, MA. Owned and run by women, they hold classes in martial arts almost exclusively for women and girls. My nine-year-old has a yellow belt in their Powergirls class, and will soon be testing to add a blue stripe.

Link