Sweet little Lily

Sweet little Lily...thats what I call my little niece.  Lily is loved by many...especially from my hubby and my babies.  She is almost 9 months and is just too much fun.  I love her little rolls in her legs, her beautiful hazel eyes, her fun sense of humor.  Yes, I believe babies have a sense of humor...she thinks I'm hilarious. So she's brilliant as well. ;p  Love her and I get to spend a week with my sweet little Lily...

Happiness, laughter and smiles...

I Heart Faces weekly challenge...bring on your best smiles.  I have many to choose from...but I wanted this particular shot because of my daughters face.  She's in the moment where her daddy is tickling her and you can tell she is just happy.  Everytime I look at this photo I'm brought back to that moment and I laugh.  This is the kind of picture where I will probably always smile looking at it.  Love my little family...so enjoy my "smile" picture this week.  At the bottom of this post click on the I heart faces button to view other entries in this weeks challenge! 

Evan and Kristi....

What is it about this shoot that I love so much...hmm, it was the perfect weather, the sun was just right...oh and they are sisters...and I have a major fondess for mine...as well as my little brother.   They laugh together, spend time together and just support eachother.  I loved watching them.  I know it sounds weird.  I guess I get paid to observe those moments...and make you look good of course.  But I love that part...the quite part of me that gets to notice the little ways people love eachother, talk and just be... I love it.    Evan, can we just stop and notice the cool name.  What a beautiful name to go with a beautiful girl.  She will be leaving for Korea to help teach English.  Amazing!  To just be able to go to another country, help other people and explore.  Sounds fascinating to me.  Kristi...what a beautiful lady.  During the photo shoot she mentioned that if she walked funny it was because she had just run a half marathon.  Seriously, these girls rock.  And she is leaving for Germany soon to join her husband who is in the military.  So yeah, I enjoyed hanging with these cool girls and was a beautiful and a fun memory for me.  Enjoy some of the moments of that morning...

Stop and just be...

Sunsets...its the days way of saying...put up your feet and relax.  Take a moment and observe...being visually aware, I think to really observe you need to just be quite and be.  Sounds weird I guess.  But last nights sunset was breathtaking.  It was foggy and the sun was competing for the show...but it was so amazing how it broke through behind the clouds.  Kissed everything it touched...beautiful.  And whats amazing about a sunset...everyday we can observe this...each sunset more unique than the last...if we would only take a moment to observe.  To stop and just be...so I guess this post is a reminder to do just that.

Everyone needs a little Cajun in their life....

So my attempt at cooking...yes, its true, I do sometimes decide its time to get into the kitchen and make something good!  Of course, the recipe needs to be easy...please, don't give me 30 ingredients of rare unheard of spices...I'm not Martha Stewart.  But I found a super awesome and EASY meal to make that my family enjoys.  Yay, for that one.  Cajun Chicken Pasta, sounds super yummy and it was. Where did I find this amazing meal you say...none other than The Pioneer Woman .  Yes, I must admit to an unusual fondness with this woman...mommy, a wife who is crazy in love with her hubby, homeschooler, photographer, author and lastly a woman who does all of that and still finds time to make AMAZING meals.  Seriously, cool lady. 
Okay, so back to my first attempts at taking pics of food...oh yes, I did...I'm a photographer and I just need the challenge of a new subject. ;p  Anyway, enjoy my lovely meal...I certainly did.  Oh, and a tip from me...def should cook while sipping your favorite beverage...mine happens to be Blue Moon...lovely, summer beer.  Happy times in the kitchen!

First we start with the goods...

Next, have a sip of that fav beverage...

or two...okay, back to business...

yes, thats a picture of pasta being boiled...but that was my first step. ;p 
Next, toss your chicken in that super yummy Cajun spice...and coat your pan with one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of oil...put it to high heat...and cook your chicken on each side for about 1 minute.  Then set aside on a clean plate...and don't skimp on the butter...please, it just tastes better. 

The slicing and dicing...now this is where I wish I could chop with the best of them...I mean, I really wish I could go super fast, have a conversation and then have another sip of my beer while doing all of this...but no, I slowly and carefully slice each pepper, onion, tomato and garlic.  I worked at Libery Market this past year...and the Chef is AMAZING...seriously, if your in AZ its the restaurant to go to.  Ask for Dave or his wife Kirsten...you'll never go to another restaurant again.  Okay, again, distracted...slicing...and yes, please note the lame slices of  peppers...they still taste good...enough said. 

from that to this...tossed and heated in another tablespoon of oil and butter...and another teaspoon and a half of Cajun spice...the last 30 seconds put the diced roma tomatoes in,

Remove, and place on the plate with the yummy cajun chicken...next comes the cream sauce...hello...so good.  Keep all that yummy goodness in the pan and add your white wine and chicken broth...let boil for about 3 minutes...then turn down the heat and add the heavy cream...whisk away.  I kind of love that word...whisk...

Then, toss the pasta, the wonderful cajun chicken and veggies to the creamy goodness....and at last, the moment you've been waiting for...the finished wonderful meal...yummy...kid approved as well.  Check out The Pioneer Woman for her recipe...

and ps...I was supposed to have chopped parsley...but yeah, well, I have two kids and sometimes I forget those little details...

Sunflowers...an old highschool favorite...

okay, I'm going to admit something...when I was in highschool...I was probably a freshman, I went through this moment where I loved sunflowers.  I mean I just liked the flower.  Then all of a sudden, birthday's and christmas's I was receiving sunflower gifts from anyone who knew me.  So my room had a sunflower border, sunflower's in a vase, a sunflower bedspread, a sunflower poster...a mug, pencils, notebooks, envelopes...and last but not least, I received a sunflower vest.  Yes, yes, I did.  But I swear, these were gifts to me...I did not go and buy these items for myself.  So whenever anyone would come over they would say WOW this girl loves her sunflower theme.  AUGHHHHH...I couldn't get away from it...but at the heart of it, I still love that darn sunflower.  Its so pretty and cheerful and reminds me of sunshine.  What more can you ask for in a flower...makes me happy.  So enjoy the flowers...and don't you dare think of me in that sunflower vest... :)

City love...

So, I've lived in Colorado for about 9 years...and I admit there are some places that I just always go to.  But today...I went out and enjoyed some new scenery with one of my closest friends.  I love old buildings, brick walls, lamp posts that could have been out of an old black and white movie...come on you know the kind, random displays of art...basically, character.  Or charm would be another good word.  One of a kind restaurants, boutiques...things or places that are remarkable.  While my friend and I are enjoying the fabulous city life of Colorado Springs, our kids are running up and down the sidewalk, pressing their faces against glass windows (I'm sure to the shop owners dismay), giggling about who knows what and really just enjoying being what they are...kids with no other agenda except to enjoy being.  What a lovely reminder.  So here is my day with my babies and an amazing friend of mine. 

"We are a family"

Okay, so I admit its nerdy but that song was in my head while editing this families photo shoot.  And I know I just put that song in your head now...you know you love me. :) What do I love about shooting a family?  Its unique, each family has a beautiful way that they interact...little tiny details...inside jokes...little looks between the parents as they watch their kids do something funny...how they ultimatly usually unite in thinking what a dork I am and it makes them laugh...yeah, I'm okay with it.  Because, well, at the heart of it, I am a dork.  And I've embraced it. :)  So families...yeah, I love watching families love on eachother...I love the protective looks of a father with his kids...I love the desire in little kids to show off for their parents...I love the look of total and complete joy on a Mom's face...basically, families melt my heart.  I happen to be blessed to be a part of a wonderful family...so its part of what I enjoy capturing. So here is a family that laughs, lives and loves eachother.  At one point during this shoot the grandson RACED his grandpa...literally, was not my idea...but hey, they wanted to do it...and can I just say...it was not a wimpy race...no, they full on sprinted as fast as they could.  Seriously made my day.  Thank you for that.