Broderick | 4 Month

As I told you yesterday, this little guy has stolen our hearts (especially in the picture above which might be my all time favorite so far). He is more fun than I ever could have imagined. Every month, I do a mini photo shoot with him and this time Daddy was able to participate! For his four-month photo shoot, I wanted to capture his rolly-polly legs before that cute chub is gone and his playful personality that is beginning to develop. He talks to us all day long and somehow we communicate even though neither of us are speaking anything other than baby gibberish of oooohs, coos, and ahhhhs.

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Broderick, I hope you know just how loved you are because Mommy and Daddy just can’t get enough of you! I am fully aware that I have turned into “one of those Moms” that shares way to many pictures of her kids but I can’t help it. I prooooomise to post about something other than this little guy next time!!!!

 

Sleepy & White

I have tried my very best to enjoy each moment with little B because I know these are moments we can never get back. This first six weeks have already flown by and I can’t believe he will be 2 months old in just a few weeks.

Since little B’s announcements went out, I thought it was time to share these pictures which I took when he was seven days old (belly button shot was 14 days :)).  I look at them and marvel at how little he was. This little guy loves to put his right hand next to his face which is funny because we have a sonogram picture of him doing this exact thing.

This is was my favorite picture from the session and melts my heart. This represents little B just how he is, no hats, no crowns, just his little face sleeping away with his hands.

We love you little guy!

Maxi Dress, my new bff?

Maxi dresses – oh how I love you! You are like one big blanket that wraps around and never has to be adjusted for bending or sitting. You give this party of two enough room to keep everyone involved happy. The best part, you don’t give me extra bulge in unwanted places like those evil, dare I say,”maternity” pants do. Any and all maxi dresses are welcome in this house (at least for the next 8 weeks).

xoxo

Paris Snippets | On Film

A French military man waiting as the train rolls by in a Paris Metro station.

An old water well at a wonderful bed and breakfast in Aix-En-Provence.

Another vendor booth filled with beautiful peonies on Rue Cler in Paris.

A little mini patiently waiting for its owner to take it for a spin in the rain.

Hope you enjoyed a few snippets from France captured on film using a Nikon Fm3a and  Fuji Pro 400h.

Celebrating Life

The only appropriate way to hold your birthday cake when seven months pregnant.

xoxo

Stripes + Popsicles

To wrap up what has become baby week, I present to you this adorable little guy. I normally don’t photograph toddlers but how could I say no to such a cute face! It is amazing that something as simple as melted sugar and food coloring can get a kid to do almost anything – including sitting still for 90 seconds.  Geesh, how simple life used to be!

May we enjoy all the little things in life this weekend, including warm weather, a friendly smile, or if you are so lucky, a yummy popsicle.

xoxo

Beckett | Newborn

We met in 7th grade. While we weren’t immediate friends because basic junior high coolness factors got in the way, we eventually had our moment to connect.  You see, she was the popular cheerleader who came to school dressed like Cher from Clueless, feather pens and all, and I was the weird, tall gymnast with too short of pants because they didn’t always used to make 32″ inseams let alone 36″ inseams. Somehow through our mutual love for cheerleading and my mad gymnastics skills, which got me on the Pop Warner team, we were given a chance to become friends.

We then spent the next 4 years of high school almost inseparable. She would be the one to pick me up for 5:30am cheer practice, host a party to celebrate the 90210 series finale, or work in cahoots with my parents to hold a surprise 16th birthday party.  She taught me how to write a proper love letter as well as the magic of hot rollers.

Now, over 10 years later, I still get to call her my best friend and see her in a new light…..as a mother. Seriously, even though this is #2, I am still shocked to write that! The girl that I brought home a little too late after a little too much fun is now a mother of two adorable boys, Riley & Beckett.

This picture is one of my all time favorites as it captures the sweetness and beauty of motherhood. I spent my birthday hanging out and taking these pictures of these two and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Congratulations to your beautiful family Melissa and Dustin and may our kids learn the beauty of a best friend!

xoxo

Paris on Film

Our stay in Paris was filled with bakeries, cappuccinos, strolling, and window shopping at all the finest stores. We spent each morning walking the streets looking for a place to enjoy a croissant before starting the day. Everything in France is created with thought, skill, and pride which makes the products, food, and architecture have that little extra something special that we are lacking here in America.

As you can see, there is no shortage of pastry selections at the bakery and the best (or worst) part is that everything is terrific just like you always hear so it makes deciding on a treat quite difficult for someone like me who loves treats and struggles making decisions. (Side note: We went to a gelato stand that had 99 flavors, so you can imagine my head exploding as it took me 7 minutes to pick a gelato flavor).

Cappuccinos are one of my Dad’s favorite morning drinks, so he was always up for a little coffee break. I love this hat and tweed coat and thought he fit the Parisian part quite well.

We have countless pictures as there is never a shortage of beautiful things to photograph. The colorful doors, old windows, aged shutters, and cute flower boxes line every street, but yet the view just never gets old.

xoxo

All photos taken with Fuji Pro 400h; Nikon FM3a; 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/1.4

Southern California Beach Day

Fuji Pro 400h; Nikon FM3a; Nikkor 85mm f/1.4

This is what a typical Southern California beach day looks like in March – warm sun, cool water, and not too many crowds. We hope to get many more of these days in this summer but with warmer water of course!

xoxo

Sunshine & Water

Nothing warms the heart more than a visit from your sister, a warm sunshiny day, and a walk along the beach. May you enjoy your weekend with all that it has to offer!!!

xoxo

Texture + Light

Just messing around with the camera today and decided to see what I could do with some items around the house focusing on textures and light.

This was a new blanket I picked up from Restoration Hardware that seems to add just the right amount of texture to a room. 

Invitations seem to be flooding our house lately and these wedding invitations, made by the bride, Alexandra of Alexandra Works, were nothing short of beautiful.

And lastly, a sand dollar that Ryan and I found on the beach during a run a few weekends ago. One of my favorite things, is when Ryan brings me home sand dollars he found while on his beach run. I love that he takes care when making his selection and will never bring home a less than perfect one. I was lucky enough to actually find my first perfect sand dollar that day and don’t worry, I am still shaking sand out of it!

Happy Sunday!

Ka-Pow! Fireworks Time!

As mentioned here, we enjoyed the city fireworks show as Ryan and I have done since 2003. It is always a great way to celebrate the holiday season and a fun time to get together with friends. Ryan enjoys spending each year perfecting his fireworks shots and this year were some of his best! 

Here was the great finale which lit up the entire beach with the bright flashes.

While this shot is more reminiscent of Halloween than Christmas, I loved the bright moon sitting above this house and had to capture it on the walk home. Once again, another great show and another memory down in the books!

xoxo

Friday | Picture of the Week | Week 47

Ahhhhh…..Christmas. The sights. The sounds. The smells. All so pleasant to enjoy from the comfort of home. Dare to enter the mall or a store and you might be singing a different tune! But when all is said and done it really can be the most wonderful time of the year!

I have always dreamed of one day spending the entire month of December in New York. Of course, in my dream month in New York, I would have ice skating skills worthy of those cute skating outfits ala Blair Waldorf, endless money to spend at Bergdorfs, and of course time to enjoy a wonderful drink at the Plaza. So, for now, I will enjoy a glass of wine from my New York wine glass and call myself lucky. Lucky to have our health and lucky to be surrounded by such love. But don’t worry, I will still be stalking all those New York bloggers {The Glamouri, From Me-To You} and hoping for some good ol’ New York eye candy.

xoxo

Recipe | Garlic Chips

Whenever I go back home there are a few restaurants that I always try to make my way to and Pizzeria Classico is one of them as we go specifically for their delectable garlic chips. So you can imagine my excitement when my best friend pinned this recipe on her Pinterest because it might be the closest thing I can get to them in LA.

The result was finger lickin’ good and almost as good as the original!

My tips: add more cheese than you think, double the garlic, and roll the dough as thin as possible!

Enjoy!

Breezy Skirt

Blazer: Anthropologie; Skirt: Unknown (similar here, here, here) Tank: JCrew; Scarf: Anthropologie; Shoes: Zara; Purse: Marc Jacobs; Jewelry: Mizuki; JCrew; Forever 21; Essie Mint Candy Apple Polish

xoxo

Friday | Picture of the Week | Week 46

This weeks picture goes to Mavrio – Maverick from Top Gun meets Mario Kart. Despite Mr. Mavrio’s pose, we were flying in these go karts and had such a blast racing each other!

And for the record, race go-kart’s rock no matter what age!

xoxo

Feels Like Home

Feels like home…because it still is.

3rd Annual Thanksgiving Photoshoot

For the past two years, my sister and I have orchestrated a Thanksgiving day photoshoot so we were excited to proceed with our 3rd Annual photoshoot. While the first year we put on as much make-up as possible and rushed out of the house wearing whatever clothes we had packed and last year we upped the photography and used a white background with a few flashes, this year was by far the best yet and completely out of control!

See, what I forgot to realize was that my father participated in many mountain man rendezvous shoots for his gun club back in the day and had an entire trunk full of mountain man attire! Um, yeah. You want to know how legit he was – he even hooked us up with a quiver! A quiver, you ask? Don’t worry that is the same thing we wondered when my Dad came in asking us if we had seen his quiver!

Quiver: A portable case for holding arrows.

Kelsey, seriously killing it in this light! She may be little, but that girl can model with the best of them! 

A special thanks has to be given to my Dad for photographing these and being just as crazy as us and to Ryan for still loving me despite my sometimes crazy behavior!

xoxo

Stripes & Links

Sweater: JCrew; Bracelet: JCrew; Sunglasses & Necklace: Forever 21

Obviously, I did not get around to a picture of the week, so this picture taken while on a lunch date with the Hubs yesterday will have to do!

Happy Friday!

Friday | Picture of the Week | Week 43

This is what an evening in looks like when your husband is snuggled up sick in bed and you are left alone with a camera and a Vogue book.

xoxo

Popover, Do-Over

I was informed by a certain popover connoisseur that my popover post here was not a total success and the popovers were lacking…well, “pop”. I didn’t quite believe her at first because no. 1 they tasted good and no. 2 they more than doubled in size which seemed to be popped enough for me! But, since I was the annoying girl in class that always did the extra credit to ensure I got an A+, not an A, I had to go for the A+ and try them again. Miss Popover connoisseur is from Texas, so naturally she had endless comparisons to the “Neiman Marcus” popovers. Therefore, after a bit of research we decided I should try this Neiman Marcus popover recipe.

Success???

You be the judge, but I think I will give myself an A for this attempt! These definitely had more “pop”; however, they tasted a bit more floury than the Tyler Florence recipe. I decided I will try this recipe again using more butter and hope they keep their pop but the extra butter will add just a bit more flavor.

If anyone has a great popover recipe send it my way before I try these again for the A+!

xoxo

Friday | Picture of the Week | Week 42

I L-O-V-E this picture and I am so happy to finally share with you and hope that you fall in love just as much as I have. I took this in Grand Teton National Park and still can’t get over the beautiful colors and serene setting. It makes me want to buckle up my cutest pair of boots, put on a long flowy dress, hop on one of those horses and ride around while yelling “Yeeehaw” and singing “For purple mountain majesties: Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee”!  

Happy Friday!

They’re baaaack…..and yummy as ever!

These macarons seem to be the fan favorite thus far! Annie Rigg says it best, “Salted caramel seems to be the flavor of the moment, and the combination works like a dream sandwiched in the middle of macarons.” Good thing the recipe only makes about 20 cookies because these things are dangerous to have around the house!

Salted Caramel Macaron
source: Annie Rigg’s, Macarons

For the macaron:

200g confectioners’ sugar

100g ground almond

120-125g egg whites {aged for at least 24 hours}

a pinch of salt

40g super fine sugar

a piping bag, fitted with a 1/2″ nozzle tip

2 baking sheets, lined with non-stick baking parchment

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To make the macaron:

Follow macaron directions from the original post.

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For the salted caramel filling:

75g caster/superfine sugar

2 tbsp water

75g light brown sugar

50g {1/4 cup} unsalted butter

100ml {1/2 cup} heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

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To make the caramel filling:

To make the filling, put the caster/superfine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over low heat and let sugar dissolve completely. Bring to a boil, then cook until the syrup turns to an amber-colored caramel. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, butter, and cream (all at room temperature). Stir to dissolve, then return to the low heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the caramel has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, add the salt, pour into a bowl and leave until completely cold and thick.

Spread or pipe the filling in over half the macaron shells and sandwich with the other half.

Fur-eezing

Looks like fall has finally arrived in LA which means it’s finally ok to put this lovely little number in the rotation! I picked up this vest at the Melrose Flea Market a few weeks ago and have been anxiously waiting for the cooler weather to hit so I can wear it sans the weird looks! Since, I spent the last three nights being extra cuddly trying to keep warm, I think it’s safe to say that it’s almost winter and time to wear this vest to keep me from fur-eezing! Ohhh yeah, I just said that — Muawahhh!

xoxo

Florida Sunshine

Ah, at last we had arrived in the Sunshine State and our first stop {ok technically the second stop — the first stop was at the Destin Outlets obviously} was off to AJ’s to catch the sunset while enjoying some yummy vacation style cocktails while watching the Destin Fishing Rodeo! With a city tag line “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” you bet those fisherman brought in some good competition catches!

The next day, we decided to catch the ferry to Shell Island near Panama City and soak in the isolated, sandy island and our first touch at the sugary sand!

Look at that water – looks refreshing huh? Makes you just want to bury your feet in the sand and tread further into the waves. That is until you see one of theeeeese guys!   

JELLYFISH! The Gulf Coast is covered in jellyfish. Um, yeah you bet we were staying out of that water! 

And instead we will get back to admiring this yummy sand. You ready for a little Wikipedia fact?  Turns out the sand comes from the Appalachian Mountains, and is made of finely ground quartz crystal giving the appearance of sugar. Basically, it is truly remarkable and I wish I could curl my toes up and walk in that sand just about everyday. 

We couldn’t leave Destin without a quick stop to Donut Hole, a local bakery and cafe. While everything looked so delicious we settled on a few omelets, eggs, and left with a couple of donuts for the road!

We had a great trip visiting my sister and it was a great way to extend our summer all the way into October! We can’t wait to go back!

xoxo