Blonde and Irresistible

November 27th

Well isn't she??

Tough Crowd

November 26th

I had some visitors yesterday, and let me tell you they were tough cookies. It all started off fine and dandy. I got some beautiful smiles in the first 5 minutes..... perfection...and then came the snow. We decided to go outside. It wasn't cold enough to keep us inside, so out we went.

He wanted absolutely nothing to do with me the whole time,he cried and cried when I came near him and this is the only thing that made him happy. Little did I know that while I was shooting this I would get pelted in the head by the other one....they tag team you know!!! The joys of winter photography!

Italian Adventure

November 25th

I thought I would post now about Italy. The pictures are done and now I will tell you all about the adventure. We flew into Venice, over the tops of the Alps and landed in the the late evening. We had to take a boat taxi to the Island we were staying on which took a good 45 minutes. When we got there we had no Euros. No idea in which the direction our B&B was, which was only 200 meters from the dock. We walked around lost in Lido (the island) for a good hour before we found our way. That night we met Cody, Gizzy and Morgan, our cousins based in Germany that flew to Italy just to see us. We had dinner and our first Italian experience of gelatto. (ice cream) So good.

We spent the next two days exploring Venice. The stolen city. Gizzy told us the whole story, but I don't want to repeat it as I don't know if I will get it right. The city was quaint and winding and just like a maze for humans. The canals were as romantic as they look in the movies only you get surrounded by other people feeling the romance as well. While we were in Venice Brady fainted in the bathroom. Luckily he didn't hit his head or back on anything. He went down right on his legs though and hurt himself pretty bad. He was able to walk on it and was able to drive so we went onto Tuscany.

We stayed in the little town of Pienza in Cretaiole. This was a working farm/vineyard that rents out apartments on the property. If anyone ever wants to go to Tuscany, please stay there, you won't regret it. It's amazing. Isabelle the owner is amazing as well. She helped us with everything. Gave us wine upon our arrival and just sat down and talked with us about what we could do while we were there but also urged us just to relax. Tuscany was tranquil. It was just what you might think it to be like. I would go back in a heartbeat. The wine flows like water there. Naps are a requirement in the afternoon. Desert and cappicino are also a strongly advised. The pasta was magnificent. The cheese was stinky. I got really sick with a headcold while we were there that lingers even now. I've never been sick on a vacation so I struggled with this one. I felt it was hard to focus on the things I was suppose to.

Next we went to Rome. Busy, busy Rome. We saw everything we could in the couple of days we were there. The basilicas were huge and sacred. The piazza's were full of busy talkative people. Ancient Rome was amazing to see as was the Colosseum.

Just to prove we were there, as I didn't include these in the photoset on flickr, here are a couple photos of Brady and I on our adventure. Here is the link to the rest of the photos. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/gp/8125773@N08/605D09

Best Brownies on the Planet

November 22nd

"Families are like brownies..mostly sweet with a few nuts."

I know I promised this yesterday, but I can't seem to stay awake past six o'clock in the evening right now and I had to be dragged out of bed to unpack my suitcase just to repack my suitcase to leave for Thanksgiving break. To my family....I promise I will get back to normal soon.

I did end up cooking up that brownie batter I made and they turned out fabulous as usual. So I will share the recipe with you.

I know it's not the typical Thanksgiving type recipe....but what can I say, I never have been conventional at the right times. (though I am headed to the kitchen this eary a.m. to bake a pumpkin pie.)


These brownies, I must say, are mouth watering. But it's the frosting that really makes them.

So here goes........

Best Brownies on the Planet
2 cubes melted butter

2 cups sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup of cocoa (I always use the latter if not more to make them ultra chocolately)

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

some nuts if desired (again, I don't cook with nuts, so I never desire them)

Mix these ingredients in order given and put into regular pan used for cooking brownies.....whatever size you desire. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, but keep testing with a toothpick to make sure they are done. Sometimes they take longer.

Mouth Watering Frosting

1 Package cream cheese (I love cream cheese...I think it makes everything wonderful!!!!)

1 cube of butter (softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla (sometimes I use more though, I like to mix it up)

some cocoa (I don't want to put a specific amount, because it varies with my mood, so it might with yours too!!)

Mix together until creamy and smooth. Wait until brownies are cooled to frost. Cover the brownies when your done to lock in the moisture and keep them soft and delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Have safe travels if your traveling. Try not to break any buttons on your trousers from eating too much.

In the Kitchen

November 20th

One of my favorite places to sit is on the kitchen floor. I like to sit against the stove while I'm cooking something to stay warm (I get cold often. I even sleep in sweats pants in the summer. Romantic huh?). I like to read while sitting there. Sometimes I like to enjoy a nice cup of Earl Grey. It's just a great spot. Well now I have someone that likes to join me on the kitchen floor. It's our favorite place. And our favorite thing to eat while sitting on the kitchen floor is brownie batter. I rarely make brownies to eat the actual brownies.....I make them just to eat the batter and if I get the brownies cooked that's fine, if not, that's fine too.

Tomorrow I will post the recipe for them. But today I'm sharing with you the fun I get to have with my son while cooking.

It's also a good time to practice singing....we were singing the puppy song here ("how much is that doggy in the window, etc") and it's quite obvious my son is definately into it. Excuse the horrible picture, but this was just too cute not to show.

Next it was time to look at cars going by. A hat was required for this and it took quite a while to find the right one. He tried them all on, but needed the one to match. Wonder where in world he would get that kind of trait from.

Italy photos are in process. It's taking a while. But have no fear, it won't be long.

Home

November 19th

We are home. It's early in the a.m. and I've been up since 1:00am as my internal clock needs to adjust.

For those that don't know we went to Italy for 10 days. We spent three in Venice. Three in Tuscany and three in Rome. It was a crazy vacation full of exciting and new things. I will write more when my head is more clear. But I will leave three images from the three places we visited respectively. They are my favorite shots and I knew they were great the minute I took them. They are all very cliche type photos...but I was blessed to see this with my own eyes. Thank you God for allowing me to see the world. It's an amazing place....so is home though, so thanks for that too!

Feline Companion

November 7th

I had a conversation with a friend today about all kinds of different dogs.....it made we want to come straight home and photograph my cat. I was never a dog person.....until I got one. But I have always been a cat person. I know, I know, that makes some people uneasy and someday I might be thought of as the crazy cat lady....but I don't really care.

Meet Libby. She's a princess. She's aloof. She's kinda snotty. She's prissy. She's mine. I've had her through trials and tribulations. I had her through the happiest moments in my life. She sat next to me in the bathroom through most of my pregnancy. She's slept next to me for ten years in the same spot. She's traveled the country. She head butts me when she's happy. She's caught on fire and survived. (That's a whole other story!) She has survived my brothers rath after scaring him for life. She's run away and returned. She's been lost too many times to count, yet she's still here with me.

Happy Halloween Ooodle Ooooo

October 31st

Happy Halloween from the Ooodle Ooo and the Egg

Ooky and Kooky

October 30th

After careful consideration and many sleepless nights of trying to decide of what to carve in our pumpkin this year, I finally decided on one design. It's breathtaking. It's magificent. It's.................................................

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ELMO!!!!

There were several others that the boys worked on as well. The monster from the wild things was abosultely the hardest, but they all turned out beautifully I think. (Keep in mind I'm not a nighttime photographer so I did the best I could)

Tricks and Treats

October 29th

I've been tagged often as a little Martha Stewarty...and I guess that's probably true about me. (mind you I haven't always been that way) But I can tell you, that the feeling you get when you make something beautiful that is edible at the same time....is like none other on earth. And to watch people enjoy it is even better.

Carmel apples were on the list last night. I wrapped pencils with ribbon to be used as holders (and no the lead in not a problem unless you were going to keep them for months, then it might leak out, but if you're going to eat them right away, it doesn't make a difference because the pencil is in the center which you don't eat anyway). Kevin and I painstakenly unwrapped all the carmels and melted them along with a little water and a dash of vanilla. When they were done they looked so good and I soooo wanted to eat one immediately, but I knew I had to wait until the next day after I took pictures. That, my friends, is self control!!

The other thing on the list last night was pumpkin seeds. After cleaning out 4 pretty good sized pumpkins, I washed all the seeds and then spiced them up......cause I'm kind of a spice girl (I never made it into the group though.) In a bowl I melted some butter, threw in some worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, Franks hot sauce and some other random things. I cooked them and kept adding a little as I went along to make them just perfect.

So those are just a couple of my favorite Halloween treats. I love popcorn balls too, but that is another day's project.

Expressions

October 28th

Sometimes it's nearly impossible to get a bunch of kiddos to cooperate when you want...but at the same time the results are still amazing and completely hilarious. These are my favorite kinds of photos...ones where they don't care if you are watching. These four are cousins...the two on the left were an added bonus for me today. They were all pretty darn cute. When were were done I was walking hand in hand with Peyton (the little girl) and she said to me..

"those were my cousins, I have two cousins...how many do you have?"

"well I have 22 cousins."

"22 cousins!!!!" she stops dead in her tracks "WHOA!!!"

I've never had family photo of all my cousins together...I hope someday I will be able to. I think these kiddos are pretty lucky to be able to do this on a random Sunday afternoon.

And then there are the times when they do know the camera is watching them.

And then there are the times when they cooperate completely and you get something as gorgeous as this....

Perfectly Frozen

October 27th

From the moment I laid eyes on this young lady I knew I had to photograph her. From head to toe she oozes personality and beauty and originality. Sooo, on this cold, cold, cold October morning I drug her downtown for a quick shoot. I didn't get many shots off...but I didn't need to....every thing she did came out perfect. Looking at these you would never have guessed we were shaking in our shoes from near frost bite...

Warm to Cold

October 26th

This whole week has been so warm and then when I have a baby show up, wanting to play outside with her, the day turns almost unbearably cold. Poor thing I tortured her I think...but only for a few minutes. I couldn't bear to see her nose get any more red than it already was. I've photographed this little one many times...not many smiles, and that's what I adore about her. She can look into your soul and you fall in love. I told her mom I would only get a couple...but it was worth it....just look at her beautiful little lips and beautiful blue eyes...the cold was definately worth it!

North Crow

October 24th

Today I came home and took a little afternoon trip with my family. Brady had the afternoon off, so we went fishing...err, um, Brady went fishing, I went photo hunting and Parker played in the dirt most of the time. It was a really nice afternoon. We don't often times get to spend afternoons together. It was unseasonably warm for the end of October in Wyoming. The snow is coming I'm sure. We went to North Crow. Brady fishes there often and I had never been. It was windy and supposedly it always is there.

There isn't anything more in this world that my little yorkie loves to do than go fishing. It's the funniest thing in the world to watch him out there. He hates the water and will wade out until he can't go any further, when he's up to his neck, and wait for someone to bring a fish in.

This is the stone house on the way home. I've always loved seeing it..so I decided to stop this time.

Go Wrockies

October 23rd

That's the way Parker says it when they come on TV. The Rockies are on their way to the World Series...so in their honor, I shot these of old worn out baseball equipment. It's mainly a post for the boys...which I know I don't do all that often. What can I say.....I'm just a girlie-girl down to the core and quit t-ball when I was 5 because I thought grasshoppers in the outfield were making sounds like snakes. I even wore a ruffled collared shirt under my t-ball t-shirt so everyone would know I'm a girl. Oh...and I also wore a flower pin on my hat. We tried to get tickets to one of the games, along with 5 million other people. Kevin had this elaborate plan that each of us be online trying to purchase them at the same time....the same plan 5 million other people had which broke the Rockies computer system. Needless to say the second time around we didn't get tickets either. So.... we will be watching from the comfort of our home in front of the fire place. Or should I say I'll be listening as I pass through the room every now and again.

Daddy's Home

October 22nd

Brady came home after a 10 day elk hunt in the Laramie Peak area. He always comes home 10 pounds thinner and really manly looking.....you know scruffy. He left it for the day so his staff could see that he is a mountain man. Most people, when they meet him, would never think that his main passion in life is to put food on the table by hunting it down himself. (I actually enjoy the grocery store approach, but it makes him happy). I didn't get a shot of him when he came home in his camo...but I thought it was pretty appropriate to see his two sides mixed together...so here he is my scruffy hubby in his tie...

Parker didn't seem to mind the whiskers at all...

Banana Bread

October 21st



Today I woke up to snow on the ground. The first snow of the year here. I'm not a huge fan of snow so I was a little disappointed at the sight of it on my Sunday morning. But there is one good thing that comes out of cold days.....good food. I love making banana bread on cold days. The aroma covers the house in a blanket of goodness. And there isn't anything better than eating it hot out of the oven with a big glass of milk.
When I first started making banana bread I was very hesitant about the whole process. I was very culinary challenged and I thought making bread involved hours of time spent in the kitchen watching dough rise and time pass...but to my surprise, banana bread is sooo very easy. This is another thing I only make in the fall...it's just kind of a fall food. My banana bread never comes out brown. I've been concerned about that in the past that I'm doing something wrong...but it taste like heaven in your mouth...so I got over being concerned about it.
So for all of those who are stuck inside twiddling your thumbs because of the cold outside....try this out...it'll make you all warm and fuzzy.

Banana Bread
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup mashed ripe bananas (I always use three bananas)
1 3/4 Cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup nut (if desired....I never desire them)

Bake in loaf pan. (I started using the silicone pans. They look like something a 5 year old uses for an easy bake oven, but I've never burnt bread with one. They come in awsome colors now...hot pink, purple, blue...you name it.)

Mix all ingredients and put in greased pan. Bake until brown at 350 degrees for one hour.

The Perfect Fall Shots

October 20th

I know I've been posting a lot of Park lately....again, just can't help it. I've been trying for weeks to get the perfect fall photo of him with the perfect colors and cooperation just doesn't happen sometimes with toddlers. Plus, my schedule is starting to fill up and I fear that there won't be much time for Park pictures. (There will probably be a resounding "Uh huh...Right.... coming over the internet waves) We both woke up this morning feeling kinda gloomy and gross. His nose was running and my head was hurting so what better thing to do at 8:00 in the morning than to drop by Starbucks, pick up a hazelnut/ pumpkin spice latte (I made that up and I think it's fabulous), and take a drive to the country (Parker dressed in adorable fall attire and me in a baseball hat and cargo pants). It was calm and beautiful and colorful and crisp this morning. The perfect fall day. Now I can sleep at night...I have my perfect photos.

you can see the smiles fading, but I was completly in love with this one anyway.

"I'm done mom."