Start, stop, wait, change, you can't, go, hold it, I need a check.... people ask how it's going and all I can say is I hope I live through the process (I do laugh, when I say that). On track, off track I just want to be finished and that I'm serious about. Part of it is my own patience level which has never been very high (I was ready for them to be finished before the project started). Part of it is my obsession with being neat and organized which as you can imagine has been slightly impacted by this project. The rest is, well, you know....it's construction!

It's interesting to me because I approached our home construction project the same way I would any of my own assignments. As a partnership, and a creative partnership at that since we were building something. I also figured that just like in our business this partnership would be based on good communication and lots of give and take. For me it's always about the partnership and I make sure every single day that the people who hire me not only get what they ask for but walk away feeling like they got way more.

I forgot, however, that in this project my partners carried tools that were just as capable of demolition as they were of creating... and by the way they weren't real talkers....

What follows is the Sept/Oct/Nov series of pictures of the framing.

Yeah..the lumber finally arrives.

Can't tell you the satisfaction of seeing wood on the foundation

closing up the old basement

Cutting a door into a foundation wall

So then we left for South Africa for 2 weeks and came home to this

It was pretty cool seeing it half way up

Inch by inch it kept going up and up

So here it was in late November early December, and then it started to snow...

Moved from summer food's into bread. I was actually really impressed with all the great breads BJ's carries. We of course, had way more than we needed and so at the end of the day delivered a very large box of breads, croissants, pastries, etc. to the Pathways homeless shelter in Framingham. I hope they had a great meal last night!

Reviewing the layouts for the day

After which Catrine broke out in song

It was a little much for me first thing in the morning

Giving Mike my best side....

Catrine likes living on the edge

Pathways here we come.

Cant believe we are already shooting for issues coming out in summer.Particularly since it started snowing while we were shooting...

First it was burgers stuffed with cheese. You can't imagine how good the studio smelled and it was only 9:30am

Catrine's table

Then it was on to salads

Polly working on the bread layout for the next shoot

Catrine and I talking via bread phone and antenna's, it didnt work so well I still couldn't understand her. Must be the accent.

Here comes summer....

Who doesn't love a good burger and fries (unless, of course, you're a vegetarian like Jenna). I myself couldn't live without them. The bigger, thicker, and juicier the better. Oh, and piled high with everything you can think of. Then of course, you absolutely must have fries to go with it, nothing else will do. Which was what we decided to shoot this week... as usual it was an all work and no play day....

Catrine our fabulous food stylist

One of my favorite tools that she uses

Catrine's tool kit

Food level

Jenna looking for a handout

Mike having some wide angle fun...

On to the fries

She finally got the handout

No one ever told Catrine not to play with her food

We shot 2 versions of both the burger and the fries. If you're so inclined, I'll number them and you tell me which makes you hungrier.

# 1

# 2

# 3

#4

A look at my last travel adventure in October. Took a 2 week trip to South Africa with my wife Lisa. A week on Safari and a week in Cape Town. It was fantastic, just the 2 weeks away by ourselves was amazing. Held a slide show party at the studio in November after we got back, South African wines and cheese to go with the images. I can't supply the wine and cheese here but I can give you a little taste of what the trip was like.