The big picture

Anthologie gallery begins to take form

With every new home it takes awhile before the personality of its owners is reflected in the interior. John and I finally had the opportunity to show a bit more of who we are by installing some of our favorite Anthologie images yesterday at 18 Bridge Square, Northfield.

The four massive giclees (38×38 inches each) welcome all who enter our new headquarters and take the viewer on a journey through a piece of life’s continuum, beginning with our favorite baby, Logan, and finishing with our favorite bride and groom, Philip and Virginia.

John and I are thrilled with the lush black ink quality of the prints and the immediate impact of each composition. And the crystal clear LED lighting is the perfect (and most efficient) accent. We were able to get the prints installed just in time for Northfield’s Girls Nite Out.

The rain did put a damper on our original plan to offer complimentary mini lifestyle sessions to the Girls Nite Out participants. However, despite the rain, John and I were able to make some great connections with the visitors who did stop by to check out our work and see what Anthologie is all about.

Thanks to all who took the time to visit with us. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Toast to the town

Anthologie to sponsor Northfield Girls Nite Out Friday

Strap on your best heels and dig out that little black dress, Friday night is ladies night and Anthologie will be on hand capture every moment. Join us for Girls Nite Out 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. in downtown Northfield.

John and I will introduce ourselves to the community and give all the girlfriends participating a sample of what Anthologie has in store with our new location at 18 Bridge Square.

Starting at ticket registration, we will be out on the town photographing candid moments of the evening. Women sporting Girls Nite Out pink wristbands will be able to flag us down for an impromptu lifestyle photography session out on the street. So be sure to purchase a ticket at Sisters Ugly, The Rair Pair or Women & Kids on Division to see firsthand the significance in capturing an unscripted moment among friends.

So look for the guys in the black polo shirts with the big camera bags cruising the square. We'd love to meet you and share your story! Photographs of you and your girlfriends shopping, walking or simply talking will be available for purchase via our website following the event.

Be sure to purchase a ticket in order to be eligible for a drawing featuring wonderful prizes from area businesses, including a special giveaway from Anthologie!

A glimpse into the future

Anthologie opening soon in historic downtown Northfield

The dust has settled and the paint has dried -- well, sort of anyway.

John and I have been absent from the blogosphere as of late as we've been working around the clock to finish renovations at our new studio and fine art gallery, opening Tuesday at 18 Bridge Square in Northfield.

After the official Anthologie website launch April 1, John and I wasted no time moving to the next "big thing" in our own story -- signing a lease and immediately going to work. And working on a number of projects, including our "No Foolin'" lifestyle portrait promotion and the build out on our new location.

On top of matching the interior of the space to coincide with the Anthologie aesthetic, we've completely gutted and remodeled the bathroom and added walls to give the space a better flow. John and I have also installed a unique photo mounting system for our gallery (pictured below).

The studio will include a gallery of our own fine art photography and we will participate in the Northfield Riverwalk Arts Quarter, putting our own stamp on the vibrant arts scene the community already has and bringing our patrons to Northfield to help stimulate area businesses.

After weeks of cleaning, painting, fixing and plumbing, John and I were finally able to move in our office furniture today!

Our first official day of business will be Tuesday, however, we're already booked solid with assignments, so you'll have to wait until Wednesday to come by and say "hello." We strongly encourage all visitors and interested parties to schedule an appointment with us by using our contact form as we're often working on location. However, our typical work hours will be Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays noon to 8 p.m.

We will introduce ourselves to the community Friday, May 8 as an official sponsor of the Northfield Girls Night Out. Please stop in at Sisters Ugly to purchase tickets in advance to participate in our "wristband only" special event. More details will be coming soon.

Special thanks to our families, friends and clients for your patience throughout this past month (John and I have been hard to reach), but we truly appreciate all the support.

More of our story is coming soon!

Big Apple taste, small town charm

Dino's New York Style Pizzaria whets our appetite for food blogging

One of the many benefits of working with clients from outside our home base is that we get to travel. And one of the best ways to get acquainted with a community is by sampling the local fare. John has very specific tastes, especially when it comes to pizza, so whenever we're heading out of town you can bet we're looking up the best pizza joint at our destination. Last Saturday was no exception.

After getting to finally meet up with Chris and Patrick in Mankato, we headed over the bridge to North Mankato and were instantly taken with Dino's New York Style Pizzaria. I had previously been to Dino's and was excited to let John take part in the experience.

Restaurateurs take note: Dino's has done everything the way it should be done. The historic charm of the building is in tact, the lighting and interior design is well thought out, the staff is friendly and the bathrooms are spotless. Oh yeah, and the food is simply amazing.

John and I are both minimalists in just about all facets of life, including pizza. We're big believers in that a pizza shouldn't have too many toppings confusing the palate. I tend to opt for a simple sausage and cheese while John's signature dish is the pepperoni with no cheese. We were both impressed with the depth of flavors in Dino's handmade sauce and the texture of perfectly crisp thin crust.

Do yourself a favor, head to North Mankato, go to Dino's, order a one-topping pizza and bask in the majesty of simplistic dining.

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Their story, our story - begins now

Christine and Patrick prompt a new chapter in Anthologie's history While John and I have been working together for some time, there are always events that denote significance in the Anthologie timeline. For example, Feb. 5 is an important date to us, because it's the day our company became officially registered. March 11 will also hold weight with Anthologie, because its when we first met up with our then-potential clients Christine and Patrick.

When we traveled to Mankato last weekend to introduce ourselves to Chris and Pat, they had no idea they would become central figures in our own story. They were the first to make a check payable to Anthologie. With all the work on our website and changes to our personal websites we only recently found the time to set up our new bank accounts!

Chris and Pat are an awesome, down-to-earth couple and we can't wait to capture all the meaningful moments on their wedding day. However, we almost never had a chance to meet them. They had originally planned a destination wedding and had another photographer booked, but turbulence between resort representatives and their travel agent had Chris and Pat frustrated to say the least. They decided a wedding closer to home would be easier on everyone.

After some less-than-ideal experiences with area photographers, Chris and Pat were about ready to give up on wedding photos all together. Luckily, some of our remarkable clients dropped our name and a few e-mails later we were meeting face to face. The rest, ahem, is history.

We'll be giving Chris and Pat 110 percent for sticking with it and supporting the entire photography industry. We're excited to get to know them more and will have a lot of fun during their e-session (hopefully, in the next month or so). Of course, we'll share some of their photos and tell you more about them. Stay tuned...

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