Baby Penelope: One Month Session

I just can't get enough of this little one. Baby Penelope is so sweet and was wide awake for her one month photo session. Just look at those eyes!

Notes From Santa

As soon as we woke up, Lou and I would run downstairs in our pajamas as fast as possible. We would turn the corner to see the living room transformed. The Christmas tree lights twinkled, Christmas songs played in the background, and presents surrounded the tree. Crumbs accompanied the yearly note we got from Santa thanking us for the milk, cookies, and carrots (for the reindeer, of course!). Although we are grown, Christmas will always be magical and the notes from Santa will always be loved!

Although we don't get to see Chloe on Christmas, I imagine she will look just as adorable on Christmas morning as she does below.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Cavie Cake

My friend Kori had a birthday last week and since she loves her pups so much I made her a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel birthday cake.

Jackson, her dog, was the inspiration for the cake. They sort of resemble each other, except I think the cake also looks a bit like a bunny!

Happy Birthday Dad!

When Douglas and I go to Buffalo, NY in a few weeks, we will stay in my parents' guest bedroom and we'll see my dad's guitar sitting in the corner. My dad has always loved music, as you can tell by the below picture! As usual, when I see his guitar over the holidays, memories will flood back to sitting around the living room while he strummed away singing "Blackbird" by the Beatles. My sister, Lou, and I would trill along and ask to play a cord or two, but would inevitably fail miserably. We would sit around in our pajamas singing and laughing until bedtime. Although my family isn't perfect, to me these moments were perfect and will always be perfect. When I think of some of my fondest childhood memories, the image of my family sitting around and singing to Beatles songs warms my heart. Thank you, dad, for giving me and Lou this memory that will always be cherished. I hope you have a wonderful birthday full of even more fond memories.

Leaning Tower of Crepes

I poured...and I flipped...and I stacked...for almost an hour! Sometimes it's true that good things are worth waiting for (and working for). When my one of my closest friends, Ryan, suggested that we make a crepe cake to help celebrate the move into his new house, I wasn't too sure what I was doing. Not only had I never made a crepe cake, but I had never heard of one either. It was a lot of work, but so worth it. The cake was about 25 crepes tall with a mascarpone cheese filling between each layer and then topped off with a nutella sauce. DELICIOUS!

A Reason to Call

She never misses a day. While I'm snuggling up in my pj's, my mom calls me every night just to say hello. We usually don't have any news, usually there is nothing new. We talk about our day and what we are making for dinner. We talk about how we miss each other and how we wish we lived in the same city. We chat about our family and her dog who is always getting into trouble. Our conversations are nothing to write home about, but I look forward to them every night. It makes me feel like even though my mom lives hundreds of miles away, we don't need a reason to talk and we don't need a reason to say I love you.

Today there is a reason to call my mom and a reason to say I love you. There is a reason for me to be thankful for everything my mother has done for me and the support she has given. Today is a day to tell her she is loved and appreciated more than she will ever know, because today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom. I miss you and love you so much.

Baby Penelope: Newborn Session

A few posts ago I blogged about Liz & Chris’s maternity shoot. They were too cute and we had so much fun playing at the park! Well, a couple of weeks ago, they welcomed a new addition to their family! Meet baby Penelope! (How adorable is that name?!) She is the sweetest little baby and her hair is totally punk-rock. It is the prettiest shade of blonde/silver and sticks up all over the place….totally melts my heart. At only 8 days old, here are some of her first baby pictures. Man, I just want to pinch those little cheeks!

Happy Turkey Day!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with lots of turkey and family time!

Cakes & Cut-Outs

So I have been really inspired by the latest Anthropologie catalog because their styling, photography, and overall mood is beautiful. I love their creative, nostalgic sets, and going through their catalog always makes me want to do a studio shoot. Although I’m not a supporter of copying a photographer’s style, I think that you can be inspired by their technique and occasionally incorporate certain elements into your own style. The below photos were inspired by a lot of different photographs and ideas. It was a mix between Anthropologie, favorite cookbooks, Sharon Core’s work, and ideas that have been hibernating in my mind. Initially, I wasn’t sure what the sets were going to look like, but I did know that I wanted something fresh, clean, and pretty. I wanted all of the elements in each picture to really showcase the cakes, not distract from them. So I started off by decorating the cakes and used them to kind of direct the set from there.

I think the photographs look better as a triptych because the images, compositions, and colors play off each other nicely.

And here are close-ups of the individual shots.

Jaws!

When I think of horror/scary movies, one person always comes to mind; our friend Bryan Wynia. He's obsessed with gore, guts, and overall disturbing special effects in movies, so it was natural when he announced his wedding date as Friday the 13th of November. It was also not surprising when he wanted me to make a Jaws-theme groom's cake for his wedding. Bryan is an extremely talented animator and sculptor, so I felt really intimidated by his request. So I took a day off work to devote to the monster and regularly asked Douglas for advice on the construction of the cake. After much deliberation, I decided that even though the cake was for a wedding, this was not a typical groom's cake and I should throw out any desire to make it look pretty or cute. I went all out and made the shark extra nasty with blood and a gross mouth. I think the cake was a hit and when the bride and groom cut into it, everyone was surprised by the shark meat (red velvet cake). Congratulations Bryan and Rachel and best wishes for a beautiful life together!

Bon Appetit!

I didn’t grow up watching her on TV, and frankly, her name was only vaguely familiar to me. It’s embarrassing, but before I saw the movie, I looked Julia Child up on Wikipedia. When I watched “Julie and Julia”, I kind of fell in love with Julia Child and it convinced me to watch some of her old shows. That woman just cracks me up! She is a far cry from the well-rehearsed, glossy chefs that are on TV today, but I think that’s what makes her so likable. From her clumsy cooking style, to her love for her husband, I think she is fantastic!

Anyway, I try to come up with ways incorporate whatever I’m passionate about into my photography. Usually, it consists of dogs, cakes, babies, and people in love…how can you really resist those things?! All of those things make me happy, so that’s what I typically shoot. But since Julia (yes, I call her Julia now) and cooking have been on my brain, I thought it would be neat to get creative and use her as inspiration for a studio shoot. This is how I would envision Julia’s desk while she was taking her culinary classes in France. Thanks to Abigail for lending me her pearls. Check out her blog, The Quinn Essentials, for lots of fun travel and food entries! I strongly recommend making her Orzo recipe. Delicious!

So here’s my tribute to Julia Child. Bon Appetit!

Liz & Chris: Maternity Session

I'm not sure exactly what it is about Liz. Maybe it's the calm way she speaks or her infectious up-beat attitude, but she has the most maternal and caring personality that's always made me think she'd be the best mother. While Liz is nurturing and friendly, Chris, her husband, is extremely extroverted and a kid at heart. Chris keeps Liz laughing and light-hearted, while Liz keeps his life organized and calm. They are the perfect match for each other!

So when Liz told me they were expecting their first baby, I thought, "Of course you are!". It was like everything came together in their lives; the little family that was waiting to form was now becoming a reality. I could just picture a little one pitter-pattering around their home!

I was able to see Liz throughout all the stages of her pregnancy, and the pregnancy glow really suites her. Just look at the pictures...she's beautiful! Shooting their maternity session was so much fun! Chris kept us laughing the entire time, while Liz looked fabulous in every picture!

I couldn't be happier for Liz and Chris, and I know for certain their little baby girl will have the BEST parents she could ask for. Congratulations you two on the new addition to your family!

"Mucho! Mucho!"

Just like every previous year, Douglas and I went to Target to get a bag of candy. Deep down I was hoping that we would get Trick-or-Treaters, but had the feeling that we wouldn't get any since that has been our track record for the past 4 years. With the rain and cold weather we have been getting, breaking the Trick-or-Treater drought didn't look likely.

Douglas and I were watching scary movies last night to celebrate Halloween. By 8:30pm we decided we should eat the Halloween candy ourselves since, again, no Trick-or-Treaters came to our house. Around 9pm, I was stuffing myself with grapes, when all of the sudden, the doorbell rang. Douglas and I looked at each other, jumped up, and ran to the door with the bowl of candy.

I almost screamed "Happy Halloween!" to the 4 little kids that were standing at the door holding their bags out anxiously. I handed out the candy to the Transformer, the Princess, the Power Ranger, and then lastly the Ninja. As I reached the little Ninja, who was in my guess about 4 years old, he screeched, "MUCHO! MUCHO!" as he hopped up and down. I about died laughing he was so cute. So I gave out mucho candy and although this was the only group of Trick-Or-Treaters we got this Halloween, it made my whole weekend.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of our Trick-or-Treaters, but here's a fun picture of the Ninja! Also, if you get a chance, check out this blog...if you scroll down on the Halloween page, they list one of my cakes! Woo-hoo! Thanks to Chris Schweizer for telling me about it!

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and got mucho candy!

"You Smell Like Chips!"

Every Halloween that we've spent in Atlanta, Douglas and I cross our fingers with high hopes for Trick-or-Treaters. Every year I buy bags of candy hoping that it will be the year they will come. Every year, not one Trick-or-Treater has come to our door. Not one in 4 years!

My in-laws have the opposite problem. They get tons of ghosts, goblins, witches, and even one year the Incredible Hulk. As Ramona (my mother-in-law) was snacking on tortilla chips between running back and forth to the front door one Halloween, the doorbell rang, yet again. She ran through the house, avoiding the carved pumpkins on the floor, past the motion-sensor ghoul that shouted "Happy Halloween!", and swung the door open with a smile. Ramona was greeted by three little costumed children on her favorite holiday of the year. "Let's see!", she exclaimed. "We have a vampire, a princess, and are you a Ninja Turtle?" The little boy dressed in all green flexed his muscles, glared up at Ramona, and retorted with a frustrated scowl, "No, I'm the Incredible Hulk and you smell like chips!". I think the Incredible Hulk got extra pieces of candy that year for being extra adorable.

That little Incredible Hulk came to my in-laws' house 6 years ago, but the phrase has stuck in our house. Douglas never fails to tell me I smell like chips when I've been eating them!

Wishing everyone a happy and spooky Halloween with lots of Trick-or-Treaters!

Knock, Knock. Who's There? Lemon Square.

I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the cooler weather or a need for just good food in general, but all of the sudden, I have the strongest urge to bake and cook everything from scratch. FROM SCRATCH??!!! Fresh fruits and veggies at the farmers' market have been calling my name and I've used that as an excuse to cook like crazy! I feel like a 1950's housewife...before you know it I'll be wearing pearls and heels in the kitchen! Although I am by no means a self-proclaimed chef, I can follow a recipe like no one's business, and occasionally I'll add my own little spin on it.

I found the lemon bars receipe on a neat blog called Cannelle et Vanille, but originally it's from Magnolia Bakery. Mmmm...Magnolia Bakery! I will say, it will be a LONG time before I make this again. Even though it was so delicious, it took me all afternoon to squeeze/zest the lemons and make that flakey crust. On the plus side, it made a ton of bars and it made the whole house smell like lemons!

Liz & Chris: Maternity Sneak Peek

Last week I was so excited to shoot Liz and Chris's maternity session. After rescheduling it two times because of the crazy Atlanta rain, we were finally able to make it happen! Although the weather was definitely not cooperating with us (think rain, cold wind, and quickly fading daylight), we decided to work with it! Here are two shots from last Friday. As long as Liz and Chris don't mind, I will post more pictures in the next week or so. Stay tuned!

2 Shows in 2 Weeks

About a month ago, a small wave of panic swept through me when a faculty member from the Savannah College of Art & Design asked me to submit work for an upcoming juried art exhibit. The first thought that went through my head was, "Oh, man...what can I submit???". After all, I couldn't very well submit someone's wedding, dog, or baby photos to an art exhibition. The same wave of panic showed its ugly face when I submitted more work to the "Atlanta Celebrates Photography SCAD Exhibition". Not only did I worry about the pieces I submitted, but a number of other feelings were swimming around in my brain about the actual night of each show.

-"What if no one shows up?"
-"What is someone wants me to explain my work?"
-"What if no one likes my work?"
-"What if I slip and fall during the exhibit?" (For those of you who don't know me, unfortunately, slipping and falling are common occurrences in my life!)

Ugh, it was enough to make a girl go crazy! The shows came and went, and looking back, I realized how silly I was for worrying so much.

-People actually showed up
-I was asked to explain my work. I did and I survived!
-I ended up getting a few small compliments...blush...
-I didn't fall and embarrass myself, thank goodness. Another injury avoided!

Here are the images that were exhibited. They are definitely different from what I usually post on my blog because they are more experimental and in the fine art vein.

The first two images were shot at night with a really long shutter speed. It constantly amazes me how the camera will pick up on colors that I couldn't see with my actual eyes.

This photo was taken in historic Roswell and the little pup was the perfect subject.

I think this picture of Douglas and his mom is hysterical! When people see this photo they question, "Douglas is just watching his mom wash his car???". For those of you that know Douglas, he is a Southern gentleman to the core and he would never just stand around while his mom washed his car! She insisted on doing it herself and he was pouting because he wanted to be the hero. Ha! At the opening, an attendee said this photo was a symbol for the period when boys are growing up but keep relying on their parents because they aren't quite ready to take full control of their lives. That's not at all Douglas' situation since we have been married for over 4 years, but hey, everyone sees something different!

Sinful Crepes

Occasionally, I'll wake up early on Sunday morning and make a big breakfast for me and my hubby. Last weekend I had the perfect reason to get up and get cooking! Kate, from Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails, was doing the neatest give away. Due to her enormous collection of cookbooks, she was giving them away to her blog viewers. This generous gesture did come with one stipulation; once you receive a cookbook, you have to make a recipe from it within 30 days and post it on your blog. I got my book, "Tempted: 150 Very Wicked Desserts", on a Thursday, and tried my first recipe on Sunday morning. Although I had a very hard time deciding what to make (everything looked delicious), I finally decided on chocolate and almond crepes. These were extra special because the recipe called for a brandy sauce, which I added raspberries and homemade whipped cream to. Although I don't typically eat chocolate for breakfast, this was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! This cookbook definitely lives up to its name...the crepes were sinful! Thanks, Kate, for sharing your love for cooking and spreading around the love!

Cavie-Sitting

Both Douglas and I are OBSESSED with dogs. Every breed, every personality, we love them all! Unfortunately, we can’t get a dog right now due to our living situation. So, as you can imagine, we pretty much smother any dog that comes within a 20 foot radius! Luckily, when our dog-owning friends go out of town, we get to puppy-sit! We recently had Lily and Jackson over for the weekend. They are two of the cutest Cavalier King Charles Spaniels you will ever see! Lily is the tan and white little girl. She is very girly, petite, and timid, and she loves to cuddle around your neck while you are on the couch…just like a cat! Her owners call it the “airplane pillow”. Jackson is the tri-color boy who has an adventurous streak. He is definitely a boy and likes to get dirty and muddy, but he is also the biggest cuddle-bug. We had a great time with them, and I think they had fun too!