Alice: A Children's Shoot

I have a special place in my heart for this strawberry shortcake because...
1.  I photographed her when she was a tee-tiny newborn.
2.  She's every bit as squishy as my Natalie
3.  Her name is Alice.  I love the name Alice. 

 

Isn't this onesie to die for?!  I doubt she'll be turning 21 in prison ;)

Alice was rather fond of the crunchy, dead leaves in her mouth and we were having a time keeping her from them.

But, she's a persistent little thing.

And, I love Mommy and me pictures. 

Especially ones bathed in sunset

A perfect pair.

Note....I have a 6 pm Birthday club shoot up for grabs this Friday.  The second one is booked. 

Last month for birthday shoots

I never officially discontinued the birthday club shoots, but this will be the last month I will offer them for a while.

I have a 6 and 6:30 available this Friday evening at the Newport pond.  Interest was too sporadic to set aside a Saturday every month for these.

These shoots include a 30 minute shoot for 1 child and 20 images on CD for $125.

Contact me if you're interested.

The Holdens and Jenkins: A Family Shoot

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I scheduled a 5 pm shoot during rush hour traffic downtown.  I managed to find a parking spot 5 blocks away from where I was supposed to meet this bunch, but I was thankful to have made it in one piece.  I'm no city girl even though I like to think I am.  I'm much safer within the confines of grass farms and cow fields.  MUCH safer.

Regardless, when I finally made it to the Holdens/Jenkins group they greeted me with smiles and I was ready to roll.

First we have the Jenkins Family...

It's been years since I've shot here and I was glad to be back.  I just need to remember that weekday afternoons are not ideal.

Little Noah is now 18 months and he's got a nice set of teeth to show for it.  His lips are perfectly shaped.

This may be one of my all time favorites.  Top 5 for sure.  I really like the vertical composition.

And we managed to get a couple of just mom and dad, Kayce and Stephen 

The Holdens were in town visiting so I had the privilege of meeting their beautiful Cianna for the first time.

Her eyes are perfection.

They were all good sports despite the steamy weather.  I on the other hand looked rather unkempt with sweat pouring off of my face taking any trace of make up with it.  At one point my eyes were burning from the sweat, but Grammy Debbie came to my rescue with my own blotter.  Thank Heavens for Grammy or I might've had to cancel the shoot.

Here's a cute shot of the happy parents, Shaun and Nicole

And I had to get a picture of the WHOLE group!

I hope you enjoyed your time together last week.  Thanks for letting me capture your family on camera...always an honor.

At home with Kristie

You know that show on TV where all of the great magician tricks are unveiled?  This post kind of reminds me of that.  Kristie invited me into her beautiful, new, clean, clutter-free home and how could I refuse the invitation to come over and chit chat and feast on crab? I had to go.  I took one for the team.  It was all in the name of business. 

The magician kindly revealed her secret.  She made something seemingly fancy and complicated so, so easy.  And, it isn't so hard to fork over a few extra bucks on something  a little more frivolous than say....pork chops....when the rest of your ingredients are simple and basic.

The hostess with the mostest...

Ingredients for the crab

Isn't this a beautiful set up?

4 cooked - 1 - 1 1/2 lb Dungeness crabs. You can use another kind of crab if you would like.

8 T (1 stick) butter

4 T extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 T grated lemon zest

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)

3 T chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Start by zesting your lemon.



Next,  mince your garlic cloves

You'll also need some chopped parsley

In an oven proof skillet, combine the butter and the above ingredients on medium-high heat until it is hot hot hot.

Add the crab and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix the crab so that it gets coated with the butter mixture.

Transfer the entire skillet to the oven and roast until the crab has heated through and the garlic is a golden brown color (about 5 to 7 minutes).

This might be my favorite part, the culmination, the hallelujah chorus.  Kristie poured the lemon juice over the crab and poured it all onto a serving platter. Last, drizzle with parsley.

Hallelujah.

God, bless this crab. And Amen.

Now for a little added filler, Kristie made these easy roasted potatoes.

These are so rustic and so good!

red potatoes
fresh parsley
olive oil
kosher salt

start by quartering your red potatoes into bite-size chunks

Drizzle your sheet pan with some olive oil and toss the potatoes so that they're coated well.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven.

When you pull the potatoes out you can sprinkle fresh parsley on top.

This would not have been complete without the bread to mop up the juice from the bottom of the crab platter.

Slice up some crusty bread and toast it in the oven.

For a hint of garlic flavor, rub a peeled clove of garlic over each piece.

I'll let the picture speak for itself.

This dessert...

is a story for another time. 

FYI...I called the Atascocita HEB and their crab is 7.99/lb.  So for 20 to 25 bucks, you've got yourself a decent meal, I'd say.

Tomorrow's Menu...

I can't wait

I've got some AT Home eye candy I'm dying to share.  Check it Friday or late Thursday night.

My garden of friends

I have a special garden of friends.  This garden is an ecclectic garden.  Some flowers are wild and colorful and others are manicured and prim.   But, the beauty of this ecclectic garden is that they allow me to dwell amongst them and bloom according to my own code of being.  It's a lovely place to be.  And don't think, for a second, that my flowers bloom in poor conditions.  They all require some degree of tending to.  I DO tend to these flowers even if it means marking it on the calendar 2 times a year.

This past weekend I was paid a visit by two of my oldest and dearest friends.  I used to walk the beach for hours with one as a teenager and discussed Nancy Drew books on the school bus with the other. 

This is Katy.

I love this picture of Katy because it's sooooo her.   She's grown up to be quite the food connosieur so we asked Katy to cook for us.  I had initially intended for this to be an AT HOME post, but truth be told, I was too busy remininiscing to pick up the camera at just the right time for the right shots.  So, I will wait for Katy to write out her recipes on her own foodie blog, Simply Yummy Goodness.  When she does, I'll be sure to point you in the right direction.

This is Carli

Carli and I have known each other since kindergarten.  We've done a lot of growing up together. 

We have a special sisterhood, the three of us.  Our lives are different in so many ways, but not different enough to keep us apart.

So, Katy and Carli hit Central Market and Spec's before heading to my house with goodies for our tapas menu in tow.

For our munching pleasure, Katy fixed a yummy cheese plate with Spanish chorizo and olives.  I've only recently acquired a taste for olives. 

Next, Katy whipped up a yummy batter with flour, whine, and some other stuff.  And it's hard to mess up anything battered and fried, but this was extra yummy.  I really think the good Lord intended for green beans to be eaten battered and fried.

Next in the skillet were some flavor-infused shrimp.

The next menu item I had never tried before, but I was surprisingly pleased.  Mussels have never sounded very appealing, but steamed in whine dr
izzled with lemon juice and parsley were too tempting to resist.  They were VERY good.

And aren't they beautiful...

Last, were the spicy crabcakes.

It was an impressive spread.

Here's to good food and beautiful friend-flowers.