Posts Tagged ‘kenmore square’

Techie Tuesday | Spotify!

August 30th, 2011

To say that I love music is a bit of an understatement. It’s already obvious that I love to share it with others.  It goes further than that. I can’t be alone as someone who wanders the street with a playlist forming their head. Perhaps you also analyze the soundtrack of a film or show [...]
 

To say that I love music is a bit of an understatement. It’s already obvious that I love to share it with others.  It goes further than that. I can’t be alone as someone who wanders the street with a playlist forming their head. Perhaps you also analyze the soundtrack of a film or show as you view it. Can you read High Fidelity without nodding along as Rob lists the art of a perfect mix tape? If you understood all of that, we might be soulmates. Music shapes are world in more ways than many seem to realize.  I think that Irving Berlin expressed it so well when he said “Music is so important. It changes thinking, it influences everybody, whether they know it or not. Music knows no boundary lines.” Does that last line inspire anyone else? Does it give you butterflies?

The right album or playlist can be found for any mood, and I am admittedly picky about this when it comes to time spent in the office. It all comes together: the weather, the amount of time I have, the nature of the work, the product I hope to deliver, the manner in which I hope to express myself. I feel that my work is truly better when I let the music influence my creative brain. Within arms length I have my cd, cassettes, records, and of course iTunes at my disposal. There are times that only the old school will do (nostalgia clearly plays its part), but digital files have obviously taken over my life.. and sometimes my bank account. :) Thankfully, I was recently exposed to a new service that has revolutionized the first important step in my workflow!

 

Helllloooooo Spotify! Welcome to the US!

 

Also, how cute is this informational video? I’ll sit back and let Spotify sell itself ;)

 

 

I think Spotify could use some work as far as helping people find new artists, but if you already know of albums you love but simply can’t/won’t buy yet, look no further. If owning/building your collection is top priority, this really is not the program for you! However, if you want constant variety, or to check out a song (or 300) for longer than the usual 30 second preview, come take a spin!  Once you test drive the music at home long enough, you may realize that you just can’t live without moving it off your computer/phone and into the rest of your life.. and then you can head back to iTunes… or your local music store.  :) While I could music search on my own, to my hearts content, I am particularly fond of the option to connect with friends. Sharing is caring. I just love sharing. Come find me & we can connect over music… which is a great way to becoming my BFF. ;)

 

Here’s hoping everyone who finds themselves in front of a desk for much of their life can enjoy it a bit more now, with a great soundtrack!

 

 

Cheers,

Briana

 

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Kate & Allison pt. 2 | Boston Children’s Photographer

August 12th, 2011

I normally wouldn’t be proud to share that I was teaching children the art of sneaky-ness, but in this case, I hold my head high… or spin it as teaching the value of surprise. Yes. That sounds much better. Our two young masters in this story of covert artistic operations are the adorable Kate & [...]
 

I normally wouldn’t be proud to share that I was teaching children the art of sneaky-ness, but in this case, I hold my head high… or spin it as teaching the value of surprise. Yes. That sounds much better. :) Our two young masters in this story of covert artistic operations are the adorable Kate & Allie, whom you might recognize from our portrait session in Arizona earlier this year.  They are quite dear to me. :) As their Father (David)’s birthday drew near, their mother (Mary Beth) requested surprise portraits as a gift. The girls are normally too excited to keep gifts a secret, but after being highly involved in location/theme planning, they took their role VERY seriously. Together, we settled on two locations that would have meaning to David: Harvard (where he works), and Fenway Park.

 

We started our super secret outing (which they dubbed “super cool school tour”, to those who asked) at Harvard Yard. The girls asked if they could take pictures outside the library, because David frequently reads to them, and I happily obliged. As we approached the library, I had them sit for a few moments to catch their breath, and ended up snapping a few images as their excitement and anticipation came through.

harvard

Sweet & Sassy. One guess which is which. ;)

I love the way these two interact. They really do adore each other. :)

 

We took a break between locations to meet David & Mary Beth at the Pediatrician for their check-ups. The cool & casual response they gave when asked how their day was going was classic, though they exploded into giggles the minute we were out of earshot. :) Our next location was Fenway Park, which they were most excited about. The girls have begun watching the games with their dad on tv, and they were so excited to visit the park. We planned our session while the team was away so we would have ample space to wander. I checked the score of the away game just before capturing the following images. The expressions in the picture on the right were their reaction upon hearing the Sox lost. Precious.

Kate is the sweet little soul. The shyer of the two, she often avoids the camera. However, her thoughtfulness and attention to detail on this day was just darling. She specifically requested that I help her resize an adult sox hat to fit her head, showing as she was becoming a bigger girl, she wanted to share what her parents love.

Allison is the sassy one, and she knows exactly what she wants. Her outfit, her poses, her timing, her intentions… everything was clear. The girl loves to model, to perform, and to be dramatic in every way possible.  Mary Beth and I are fairly sure we have a future actress on our hands.

Kate LOVES hotdogs and couldn’t wait to pose under the Fenway Frank stand.  They continued to hold hands as we walked away and headed back to the T,  and this tender moment ended up being my (and a few vocal tourist’s) favorite image of the evening.


Happy Birthday David! You are on your way to raising a couple of solid Sox supporters, but it’s obvious they are already your most devoted fans. :)

 

Cheers,

Briana

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50 Glimpses of Spontaneity

May 29th, 2011

Friday was a day filled with spontaneity. Blame it on the beautiful sunshine. I would say it should be mandatory to have a spontaneous adventure during the first warm week of the season,  but that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? My morning began with a dear friend inviting me to join her for 50 [...]
 

Friday was a day filled with spontaneity. Blame it on the beautiful sunshine. I would say it should be mandatory to have a spontaneous adventure during the first warm week of the season,  but that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?

My morning began with a dear friend inviting me to join her for 50 Pic Friday. Challenge Accepted. What started as merely an opportunity to capture my day ended up setting the tone for a day worth remembering. A trip to the park with sweet little Allie. Dinner and a charming movie with James. Inspired and enchanted by the film, we chose to wander back through the city, stopping for drinks on an outdoor restaurant patio. The combination of Vitamin D, Woody Allen, and wonderful conversation put a bounce in my step and enabled me to slip into bed (late) that night with a smile on my face and not a care in the world. I don’t remember the last time I slept that well.

Here’s to a magical summer!

Cheers, Briana

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We’re all a bit mad here

April 27th, 2011

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” — Dr. Seuss It could be this beautiful spring weather that is causing everything to glow that much warmer, [...]
 

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
— Dr. Seuss

It could be this beautiful spring weather that is causing everything to glow that much warmer, but, today I feel especially blessed for my mutual weirdness. :)

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