Monday, October 31, 2011

say hi, sammy






Sammy has been (intentionally) camera-shy for the past few weeks. Perhaps shy isn't the right word. He's so used to me taking photos that lately he'll turn, look at me, cover his face, and cry, "no piwtures!" Mostly, he does it to tease me. He's a little stinker in that sense. But he loves seeing pictures and videos of himself and other people. So we filmed a couple this past weekend...sharing one of my favorites today. Happy Monday!

he decided that he wanted to see his video while we were taking it, which is why I kept moving to get him. silly sammy.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

hayley // portraits


















The clock is one tick and tock away from one and I'm sitting at my computer, writing words and editing photos. I had my last fall session tonight with one of my closest friends. She's one of those friends I know I could call at two in the morning and we'd talk till three. I've known Hayley since third grade when pig-tails were still cute and you could get away with a stain on your shirt. At seven years old, we were just friends. We saw each other at church and various homeschool get-togethers but I never saw us becoming good friends.

Fast forward till now and she's one of my best friends. I love talking about faith, life, and art with her. Spending hours chatting about today's generation, what we're passionate about, our hopes and dreams for the future, and, of course, laughing our heads off over who knows what. She has such a heart for the Lord and it's so cool to see God work through her life. I'm so blessed to call her my friend and so thankful for all of our long talks at coffee shops. And for owners who don't kick us out even though we stay and stay and stay.

As soon as we finished taking photos, we drove to Starbucks and picked up a couple of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. We sat at the wooden tables and chatted about mission trips and plans for this summer while sipping our steaming drinks. My cold fingers warmed and my heart was happy. I'm somewhat introverted, but it's so nice to just get together and just talk. Coffee with one of my closest friends was a perfect end to my last shoot this autumn.

ps. I love her scarves. the end.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

a peek into our afternoon





















A glimpse into our life. Crazy, busy, but filled with laughter. We made gluten free cookies, ate chili, did school, and read Food Network. It was a typical afternoon, but a good one. These simple days are my favorites, these ordinary moments some of the most special. In fifty years, I want to remember this. How Sam's face looked as he asked for one more snickerdoodle, Grace's little ballet bun, the smell of sugar in the air, watching the boys play with each other, touching the wood of our table, and stepping back and realizing that these days are truly what make life sweet.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

for the love of bread + super easy crostinis


There's something almost comforting about bread. Some of my favorite memories from being little are making bread with my mom. We'd stand in the kitchen, flour on our hands (and, I can remember distinctly, dusting my hair and face), kneading the soft, sticky dough. The smell filled the house with a heavy, cozy scent that made you want to breathe deep and sit awhile, just chatting and enjoying company over coffee.


I've always loved bread. Beer bread, brown bread, naan, cornbread, focaccia, flatbread, monkey bread, whole wheat, white, brioche, baguettes, pita, pumpernickel, gingerbread...I honestly can't get enough. Biting into freshly-baked bread, butter melting and the heat still radiating from it -- the richness and thickness -- is one of my favorite things. Sadly, this bread wasn't homemade (we haven't used our bread maker since Sam was diagnosed with Celiac Disease), but it was from panera, so it was still delicious.

Super Easy Crostinis
Ingredients
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Salami
Cherry Tomatoes
Spinach
Baguette
Olive Oil + Butter

Directions
This was really so simple. Cut the baguette into thin slices and spread with a little butter. Drizzle olive oil on top and pop them in the oven. Broil them on high for about 1-2 minutes -- make sure you watch them closely! They can burn quickly. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle feta cheese on top, then put salami (pre-toast the salami in the microwave till slightly crispy), tomatoes, and spinach on top of that. Put them back in the oven for 1-2 minutes until the feta is melted gooey into the bread. Pull out and enjoy for lunch or an afternoon snack.

They're crispy on the outside and gooey inside from the cheese. The salami adds a perfect crunch, the spinach a little green, and the tomato lightens up the crostini. Of course, the olive oil takes the deliciousness to a whole new level. I love olive oil so much that I should have been born Italian. Definitely try the recipe...it's super easy, quick, and yummy. Happy Tuesday!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

mornings




I'm not a winter child. I love the season as much as one can when living in negative thirty degree temperatures. It's not to say that I don't like it, but in Minnesota, the world is somewhat frozen, and come December, chilly is and understatement. I love winter up until January second...then the magic of the season is gone and I'm ready for the snow to turn into slush.



Yesterday we had our first frost. The world was covered in a thin sheet of sparkling white ice and the air tasted like snow. I threw on a sweatshirt and stepped outside, breathing in the world. My fingers were numb as I pressed the shutter and my toes were cold. It was quiet and still as my feet crunched on the fragile ground and my breath came out in frosty whirls that reminded me winter was not far away.



The trees had dropped most of their leaves and lay on the ground, gold and red covered in shimmering white. There are still many days of fall ahead, but as the season looms to a close, with winter just in sight, I'm ready for it. I'm ready to enjoy the last month or so of autumn, these fleeting golden days of bonfires and hot apple cider steaming and pumpkin patch journeys and the last few leaves still to fall.



However...the thought of cozy mornings, staring out the window at a world thick with a blanket of snow while sipping a mug of steaming chai, doesn't sound so bad to me. Hot oatmeal, cooked overnight with apples and cinnamon, for breakfast, woolen socks, and mittens covering the littles fingers, all red with cold. Cheeks flushed and eyes bright as they make snowmen or angels or even have a snowball fight. And then there's the promise of days spent making cookies, the weekend when we put up the lights, and the day we go downtown. Thick white flakes falling and trees covered in frost, Christmas music, roaring fires, and hours spent with family, tucked inside warm houses with people I love so very much.



It sounds contradictory, but secretly, I'm excited for winter to come. And all because of a first frost.