Good afternoon, Steemit! Man, this has been one of those days where the impact of crypto-technology has impacted me on a deeply personal level. This could easily be an entire Steemit post itself, but the short and long of it is, I was waiting for a $370 refund from Amazon […a sweet Blue Dell Inspiron for my son’s 6th birthday in July. Ultimately, ended up being too slow and was returned and I purchased the same computer, but with a Core M3 processor and dedicated graphics card; this will strictly be a Minecraft machine, and after preliminary tests, the first wasn’t going to cut it].
I’ve been waiting for that refund because my mortgage payment was due this evening. I called Amazon, who informed me that my refund was delighted by an Amazon gift card credit […which is not money]. I asked for the credit to be exchanged for a refund to the original card I purchased the laptop and they noted that I’d already been making purchased with the gift card credit […I knew I’d been making purchases these last two weeks but was unaware those purchased were being deducted from the gift credit]. In the end, almost $400 I’ve been waiting on with great anxiety, turns out, would not be coming.
I went in to my usual “poor artist at the end of the month” mode, scrambling. It occurred to me, I had some STEEM available from a really bang up week of post rewards […thanks, guys!] and with a 
Speaking of work, I’m here with more photography! Today post features an extraordinary model and great friend! Her name is Melia deMure and I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her and shooting with her several times. She came to me in 2014 and booked her session in the typical fashion. I remember it being during a very stressful time of a particularly demanding trip. Our shoot was the third of three in one day. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and by a third shoot, I feel like I’ve given my all. This, however, I was excited about. In a way, I was energized. Mel had come up with some great outfits and a really cool “American Hustle” concept.
Our second shoot was a year later. She wanted to do a “good girl/bad girl” concept and we captured two looks. A delicate piece of light vintage lingerie, and a second, darker concept. Dark lingerie with a vintage fur coat. Whiskey visible in the shot, representing a troubled woman in a downward spiral. It’s great working with another creative who has a clear vision of the images they hope to achieve.
Our most recent shoot was during NOIR I LA. Probably my favorite of three shoots we’ve done together thus far. NOIR is an all inclusive event I hold every year in Minneapolis, LA and NYC. This past Fall, Mel participated in NOIR and we captured a dark pinup series of photos inspired by the fashions and lifestyles of the 1940’s. We shot at a beautiful mansion in La Cañada. Hair by the brilliant vintage stylist, Liz Garza, make-up by Cara Zozula, lingerie courtesy of the NOIR sponsor, Kiss Me Deadly, styled by The Lingerie Addict and assisted by my very own 
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