Natalie Brooke Photography- Clackamas/Multnomah County Portraiture

Purple Wall

2012-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Hadley and I (and our lovely models Kerrilynn and Susanna!) found a purple wall:

January Sun

2012-01-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

Today I took Andre and Louis out to experiment with my reflectors. We found some aesthetically appealing walls and abandoned crockpots, and I got some photography advice from a legless man in a wheelchair. Oregon City doesn't disappoint....

One of the lookout points here gives a nice view of the river and factories. Whenever I drive up the hill to my house on a sunny day, I wonder why there is always a large group of people milling around with cameras. Today at the stoplight I watched an older tourist stalk a landgull with her point-and-shoot and it made me smile. Partly because I could imagine what the rest of her memory card contained, and partly because I can totally understand that urge to take my camera everywhere and photograph the world around me. My grandpa used to take disposable cameras up into the woods during his forest service years and would come back with pictures of trees. Stumps. High-speed squirrels.
Humans really love preserving the most random moments.

I haven't been posting much on here this month, but I'm hoping to do more photography projects next few months. School has been occupying a lot of my time lately.

Here's some interesting stuff I came across recently that is not really cute enough to put on pinterest:

Recently rediscovered USF Lit2Go podcasts, which are unbelievably good. (It's funny how fast you can get through an audiobook when it's not read by an alien!) I'm about halfway through Crime and Punishment right now. It's nice to actually listen to a story after days of staring at computer screens and book pages for school.
This urban series by Dennis Maitland is fascinating.
Last month I found these art journals that a French artist posts on her blog. They're so colorful and inspiring.

That's all.

snow flurries

2012-01-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

2011

2012-01-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

Last year I posted my favorite images from 2010 here. It's time for another recap! This post was very fun to put together- I love what I saw this year. (The first photo was actually taken last December 31, when we went cross-country skiing for the first time.)

Random happenings that come to mind when I think about this past year:

I emerged from DMV hell with my driver's license sometime in late January and have been driving responsibly ever since.
I rode a train two times. I survived a brutal PE class. I stayed in Norman Bate's house. (It's in central Oregon, if you're wondering. Learn how to send smoke signals before you head out there because cell service is non-existent and I'm pretty sure we broke the phone in the last remaining phone booth.) I learned that you can't use hairdryers in the car and discovered that my dog will willingly wear wigs, dresses, and glasses. I discovered how to make the perfect ice cream, and I read a some good books.

There were many nights when I dreamed I was somewhere exciting taking pictures. Sadly, I always woke up right before I was able to edit them. I remember looking down at my imaginary LCD screen and getting excited because I knew just how the colors and contrast should be adjusted on a particular image. A few of those do live on in my head.

I'm so thankful for my family, friends, and the opportunity to freeze seconds of my life with a camera. God has certainly blessed me.
This time last year I knew I was going to take a lot of photos, and I wondered what they would look like.

I don't have to wonder any more:

Salem, Massachusetts

2011-12-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

I was looking through my archives and thought I'd post these from September:

left, Nathaniel Hawthorne's birthplace

Frozen Pond

2011-12-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

I spent the last week in central Oregon with friends and family celebrating Christmas. It didn't occur to me to bring my dslr (unusual for me!) but below are some iPhone photos I took on a bike ride.

I've been picking out my favorite photos from this past year, so I'll have a 2011 recap post up sometime later this week. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

My Desk

2011-12-16T21:57:00.000-08:00

This is what my desk looked like earlier this week. Now? Not so much. Time for another cleaning this weekend, after I finish up some projects.

finally found a use for the glass bottle that has been sitting on my desk for months

Starry Night and a Sunrise

2011-12-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

I am both a night owl and a morning person (not a very sustainable lifestyle). This post might explain why.

I stood outside late last night in my grandpa's backyard watching a meteor shower:

I think Van Gogh's Starry Night is fascinating because the paint swirls remind me of the motion one photographer recently captured in a series of star trail images taken in the Australian outback.Van Gogh complained that this painting wasn't realistic enough, but I think he was just subconsciously wishing for a long exposure lens.

The following pictures of the sunrise this morning are basically out-of-camera:

Winter Light

2011-12-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

All out of doors looked darkly in at him

Through the thin frost, almost in separate stars,

That gathers on the pane in empty rooms.

What kept his eyes from giving back the gaze

Was the lamp tilted near them in his hand.

-An Old Man's Winter Night, Robert Frost

Only 6 months left of highschool! It seems funny to get excited about graduation when everyone is busy with Christmas, but I am. Things I need to do before then: prepare at least 12 pieces for my senior recital, finish a required reading list, write essays, and complete a biology and Spanish II course. Not too bad! I'm glad that I still have plenty of time leftover to work weekends at a parks and rec center and take pictures.

Anyway, that is what I'll be doing this spring. I rarely write anymore on this blog, which is too bad because reading old posts is wonderful entertainment. On my old blog I used to write about goats, swine flu and bizarre connections between Longfellow poems, and the current state of my clothes closet. Gems, I tell you.

This was the view out my window this afternoon. It seems like it's always foggy up here. And I like it that way!

Harvard in Color

2011-12-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

In October I posted Harvard in Black and White. This is Harvard in color...

It was a beautiful September day. My dad and I had a lot of fun people watching on the streets and had coffee in a little cafe where students and professors like to go to study and work. As an Oregonian who has no intention of going to Harvard, I felt a little out of place (I can report that the Harvard Trader Joe's isn't that different, though!)

A few days later, on Sunday evening, we stopped at Cambridge on our way back to Boston and went for a run down by the Charles River. So beautiful.

Christmas Photos!

2011-11-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say that I would love to do some Christmas family sessions in the next few weeks, if anyone is interested. I know lots of people use a summer/fall picture for their family Christmas card, but there are many of you (like my family!) who like to wait until December. When it's not raining here there is some really beautiful winter light. I enjoy taking individual portraits of kids as well, if you're looking for Christmas presents for grandparents/relatives.
Package prices start at $80 and vary according to number of prints included in package, size of family, etc.
I welcome dogs and large groups, but would rather not photograph anyone in the rain or fog unless absolutely necessary, so email me soon!

Last year's pre-Thanksgiving snow. Hoping for some more of it this year:

Dress-up

2011-11-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

Last week Susanna and her cousin wanted to dress up and have a tea party. My mom did their hair and makeup and I made them pose for a few pictures. It wasn't long before we dragged the dog in. She is an amazingly patient animal and happily sat on the chair for at least 15 minutes while we tried different costumes on her. These two shots are my favorites:

2011-11-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

town houses

2011-11-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Somewhere near Beacon Hill and the Common:

Fall in Oregon

2011-10-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Every time I go out running, I find myself wandering back to this lookout point:

The following photos were taken in the Willamette Valley, almost exactly one year ago. Incidentally, this is the first time I've posted photos that old and not cringed.

Still some of my very favorites:

oil inspired

2011-10-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today after I got home from class I wanted to try something new with my camera. I had some various apples, squash and gourds so I decided to create a still life. It was an overcast day but I was able to use the light that was shining in through the window by the back door. Interestingly enough, the shadowy side is closest to the window. (I know, that doesn't make any sense at all.) Sometime I'll do a post explaining how I made things work.
I'd planning on doing some more still lifes in the future- maybe something with an eggplant?

Both of the shots above were composed quickly in my mind and thus weren't really inspired by any particular painting, but sometime I'd love to do a series based on this lovely piece by Juan Sanchez Cotan. Although I have absolutely no idea how I would manipulate the light for that.

I took this last photo in the oldest timber frame house in the US, located in Dedham. (I wasn't allowed to use my camera in the other 6(!) Massachusetts houses my dad and I went through!)

Anyway, this shot reminds me of a painting. The funny thing is that the desk below is basically the same style as the one I am sitting at right now. Not quite as beat up, though!

Harvard in Black and White

2011-10-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

I love the moodiness and depth that black and white conveys. I've been posting a lot of colorful photos lately, so I think its time for these.

We took the metro to Cambridge on a sunny September Friday. It was beautiful! I wish libraries and churches on the west coast had been built like these.

The second image is a close-up of the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library near Harvard Yard. Not to get all tour guidey on you but I think the following story is interesting:

Harry Widener was a Harvard grad and a Titanic passenger who had been collecting old books in Europe. As the ship was sinking he managed to jump into one of the life boats, but he suddenly remembered his rare book collection and returned to his room to rescue them. He died, of course, which naturally upset his very wealthy mother. She had Harvard build him a library, and made them promise never to alter the exterior of the building. Also, Harvard is legally bound to place fresh daffodils in a special memorial room of the library every day.
4 underground levels were added, so as not to disturb the outside structure. There are 57 miles of bookshelves which contain 3 million books.
The sad part is that you can't go in if you're not a student.
So sad.

Well, that was my interesting piece of information of the day.

Gitana (and a few purses...)

2011-10-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Shooting jewelry from Taxco, Mexico for Gitana Silver was so much fun, despite the interesting light situation that day. Some of these photos will be used on their new website, which I will link to when it's finished. I also photographed a few of the beautiful leather purses that Michelle (owner of Gitana) collects and sells. I've never had the chance to work with so much color and texture before! I'm very happy with the results:

the ferry ride

2011-10-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

Lindsley's

2011-10-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

I had some work to do on Bainbridge this weekend, so my mom and I took the train to Seattle early Friday morning. The following shots are part of a fashion shoot I did for a women's clothing store. Despite some threatening clouds and a very bold neighborhood tabby who made its way into a few photos, the shoot was a success. My models (who I am indeed related to, as some of you know) were excellent.
I also photographed some silver jewelry from Mexico for a distributor on the island--I'll post those images in the next week or so. It's a very colorful shoot that I can't wait to share!

waiting

2011-10-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Man in a blue velvet track suit waiting in the Andrews subway station:

North End

2011-09-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

There are so many reasons I love Boston, but the North End is definitely at the top of my list. It's best at night, when you can see the light shining out of the apartment windows that look out over crooked alleys and streets. Sometimes you have to walk down narrow passageways and through dimly lit courtyards to find the front doors of these brick apartments. Paul Revere's house is here, situated near a puritan graveyard. There are a lot of loud people out on the main streets with their friends, carrying boxes of cannoli from the Italian bakeries back to their cars, or the subway station. My dad and I stayed in South Boston, so we took the subway.

The pictures below taken in a square across from Old North don't really do the scene justice.

the white spire of Old North Church

John and Abigail Adams' House

2011-09-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Quincy, Massachusettes

The little building in the last two shots is the library. It's so perfect.

summer fades to fall

2011-09-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

This is a post that I put together earlier this month...just some iphone instagrams from girls' camp at the beach, the Seattle trip with Ellie and Autumn, etc. It's been a fun month- I just got back from Massachusetts on Monday with a lot of pictures and some funny stories to tell. Senior year has started, which means that there are many amazing new books to be read. And music to be played. My wrists still hate me so I'm going to leave and go find some ice...

cucumber gelato

where the wild things are

2011-09-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

I told my mom I was going to stop blogging for a long while because of the wrist tendonitis/carpal tunnel I've developed this summer, but I just wanted to stop in and share these images that I edited a few weeks ago. Instagram has to be my camera fix these days, because I'm trying to avoid the temptation that comes after I take a bunch of good shots on my dslr! That said, I'm just as inspired as ever, and I'm hoping to really launch/expand my photo business this coming fall/winter/spring.

summer in the country

2011-08-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

Not pictured:

cousins racing wagons down a steep hill
campfire
beautiful Mt. Hood out my aunt's kitchen window
a 140+ pound English Mastiff puppy

Gus

2011-08-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

We made it to our new house! Saturday was chaotic- we moved furniture, loaded boxes into the trucks and trailers, and stayed up until midnight packing. On Sunday I left town with Gabe and the dog and suffered through a few bad traffic jams to get to my aunt and uncle's house in Washington. We got the keys to our house in Oregon City on Tuesday and managed to unpack our beast of a uhaul by Wednesday afternoon. Not bad at all.

The other day I was taking some photos of my aunt's neighbors' old pet horses, and managed to get a few shots of their old ox, Gus. I think he's actually a big, friendly dog.

Dusseault Family- Lane County Family Session

2011-07-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

evenings

2011-07-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

A wonderful peach pie that my mom made tonight. It was delicious.

Left: outdoor symphony concert with Autumn, Louise, and Andre. One of the woman in front of us (not pictured) got hilariously drunk on champagne. She almost fell over at the end of the 1812 Overture and danced in her seat when the orchestra started to play the mambo. Right: Susanna eating ice cream at a baseball game. (Notice the sweater!)

Evening spent with friends. The photo on the left is my phone lock screen image. It makes me smile every time I look at it! I'm going to miss everyone from my church so much. Thankfully, though, Ellie and Autumn are coming up to see my over Labor Day weekend, and we're taking the train up to Seattle! I can't wait.

Lucy has a new summer haircut....

Clover in the yard. Thank you July Rain. Everything's green and fresh.

One more thing...a friend took pictures of my family and did a really lovely job. (Photographing 8 people and a dog is like herding cats, so she gets extra points!) You can see the shoot over on the Lily Fields Photography blog.

I'll end this post with a behind the scenes shot I took a a few minutes ago....we're leaving town in a little less than one week. Can you tell?

Portland in July

2011-07-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

I find it difficult to actually write stuff in my posts, so here's a list of random things I did (or that happened to me) this week:

Went to my ~~second-to-last~~ penultimate(!) music lesson. I'm really going to miss my vocal instructor.
Was able to spend an afternoon with a friend I hadn't seen in a long while. Thankful for that.
Watched my 4-year-old brother "run" at a track meet. And by "run" I mean that he ran ten feet then stopped because all the other four-year-olds had flown past him.
Counted a million (or so it seemed) kindergarteners with feather extensions in their hair.
Drove to Portland on Thursday with my dad and Louis.
Spent 40 minutes waiting in line for a doughnut.
Got locked out of the house at midnight.
Realized that whenever I download an app on my iPhone, my mom's iPhone mysteriously downloads the SAME APP. This telepathic relationship between our phones is starting to disturb me.

Anyway, here are some photos from Portland. We stayed downtown so I wandered around a bit.

(Portland scenes from last December here)

big sky

2011-07-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hernandez Family

2011-07-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

gardens and geese

2011-07-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

I did a photoshoot in this rose garden on Saturday- I'll be posting those images soon. Today Mikaela and I were out on our bikes and decided to head out in that direction:

a hundred sunbeams splinter

2011-07-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

The light tonight was stunning. At seven we went to the community college's track for the junior all-comers meet. I sat on the hill and enjoyed the perfect weather and the sound of parents cheering.

I have few photos to show from the Fourth. We woke up early for the Butte to Butte, a 10k road race that three of my brothers and I participated in. It's beyond fun. Thousands of people participated in the run (and the walk) this year. I love how spectators sit in lawnchairs on the sidewalks with dogs and kids and cheer the runners on. There was even a man on one corner who played a Bach piece on a xylophone as we ran past. Man With a Xylophone, you are my new inspiration.

It was a wonderful way to start the day. Later friends came over to our house and we brought the fireworks out. The night ended with a drive around town blasting music and watching people wrap up their own neighborhood celebrations.

It was a great 4th, but I'm not sure it lived up to year when my mom and Jerome dressed up in Dalmation suits for a parade on Bainbridge Island. In liu of a costume I carried a pole with a human sized cat (stuffed, obviously) sitting on top of it. I think there was face paint, candy and a dragon involved, as well.

We're almost set to leave town in a little less than a month. We've done a bit of packing, and there is an ocean of boxes in our garage, but the really crazy packing hasn't started yet. (I have a new sympathy for people who move often!) It still hasn't really hit me yet that we're actually moving to a new city.

I spent this afternoon sitting in my backyard reading in the sun. Summer is so beautiful.
I'm posting all these images so next winter when I'm standing at a bus stop somewhere in the pouring rain I can pull up this blog post and be reminded of days when the sun sparkles through the trees, swimsuits hang on patio chairs outside, and everyone stays up late.

(Post title from this.)

sun in the backyard

2011-07-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

summertime instagrams

2011-07-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

"Oh, the summer night

Has a smile of light

And she sits on a sapphire throne."

- Barry Cornwall

cinnamon banana rum ice cream

2011-06-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's interested in making homemade ice cream must read this article on Serious Eats. My family has two small ice cream makers (the freezer version that doesn't use salt or ice) that we've used the past few summers, but I wanted to find a good no-machine recipe and see how it worked out. I learned some fascinating stuff from the Food lab article (linked above) and got all inspired to try the recipe that was included at the end of the post. Since I'm not too enamored with plain vanilla ice cream (unless toppings are involved, you know...) so I knew I wanted to add something. I chose cinnamon. Perfect.

Anyway, I followed the vanilla recipe. When it came time to put the ice cream into a food processor, I added 1 very ripe frozen banana and a decent amount of cinnamon. The mixture went back into the freezer for a day. It was delicious.

Did I mention the two tablespoons of rum?

I feel so lucky when my mom hands me a bottle of rum. If you ever hear about a tv show involving teenagers, alcohol, and KitchenAid mixers, I'll probably be on it. Do not skip the rum in this recipe. It just completes the ice cream.

This is the finished product:

Making ice cream isn't hard. If you can read and have the patience to stand at the stove stirring custard, IT'S POSSIBLE. Since school's been out, and there's been a Death Cloud of Grass Pollen hovering over my town, I've been experimenting in the kitchen more than I normally would. (It's also a good chance to use kitchen equipment before it gets packed up for the move...)

4th of July is next week and I'm planning on making a new flavor to accompany the explosives show that's going down in my cul-de-sac. I'm thinking chocolate. And a hose.

Now for the failure report: waffle cones. I tried making them in a skillet and they turned out like dense pancakes and I couldn't get them thin enough to role into cones. From my point of view, homemade- waffle cone makers are in the same league as cake log artists. Have fun with that! (But my friend Sarah gave me a Tulipe recipe, so I'm going to redeem myself!)

Vanilla Ice Cream Without a Machine

8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups heavy cream

for banana/cinnamon/rum version:

2 tablespoons of gold rum
1 (very ripe) frozen banana
however much cinnamon you feel like adding

1. In large bowl or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt until pale yellow and mixture falls off of whisk in thick ribbons, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Stirring constantly, heat evaporated milk in medium saucepan on stovetop until it comes to a simmer. Slowly add hot milk to egg mixture, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated. Transfer mixture back to saucepan and heat, whisking constantly, to 180°F (it should become thick and custardy). Do not overheat, or eggs will scramble. Chill mixture completely.

2. Whip 1 cup heavy cream with whisk or in stand mixer until doubled in volume. Add whipped cream to egg mixture and fold with whisk just until no lumps remain. Pour mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for 4 hours, or until solid. NOTE: I actually don't have an ice cube tray, so I just used muffin tins. Read the article if you're curious why the mixture should not be frozen in a large bowl.

3. Combine frozen cubes of ice cream (and banana, rum and cinnamon) and remaining heavy cream in food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides and breaking up lumps as necessary during process. Transfer mixture to quart container, I used an empty plastic yogurt container and freeze for at least 4 more hours before serving. I found that the ice cream needed to be frozen for much longer than 4 hours. I actually kept in the freezer for at least 24 hours so it would be really hard.

This is a photo of an ice cream shop on Bainbridge Island. I thought of it yesterday because I had cinnamon ice cream there one summer:

Please tell me about your ice cream making escapades in the comments!

color

2011-06-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

A few images from the last four weeks that inspire me today:

studies in black and white II

2011-06-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Crème brûlée

2011-06-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Just a week ago, I made Crème brûlée for the first time. (Is it necessary to add those accents?) Anyway, it worked! I'm still working on my (very poor) torch skills, but I actually succeeded in hardening the tops. I'm of surprised they turned out, because I kind of randomly dipped into the Allrecipes Abyss and used the first recipe I saw. Yeah, I've done that before...

Creme brulee isn't hard to make, it just requires paying attention to a bunch of little directions. You don't need a torch, so I've heard- but my broiler wouldn't harden the sugar properly. So I used my feeble torch.

I can't make up my mind about this dessert. It obviously doesn't contain any chocolate or fruit, and everyone knows that the whole concept of baking desserts would be pointless without chocolate or fruit. Still, the layer of vanilla custard under the sugar shell makes it worth it.

Note: Stir the hot cream into the egg mixture SLOWLY otherwise the eggs might start cook in reaction to the almost boiling cream.

ingredients

6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar

prep

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture SLOWLY WHILE STIRRING; beat until combined.
Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
Preheat oven to broil.
In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

weekend

2011-06-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Happenings:

Successfully made creme brulee for Fathers' Day (we celebrated on Friday). I'll post about that soon! Also made yogurt cinnamon waffles.
Rode my bike in the pouring rain with Autumn Saturday morning to get frozen yogurt.
Experienced an eye blister. Thank you allergies. And yes, that's pretty much as fun as it sounds.
Hung out with Andre and Jerome, the only siblings who were in town then.
Laughed at silly movie trailers and watched Psycho with friends Saturday night.
Was very late to church.
Taught Jerome how to take pictures on my iPhone. Completely hilarious and adorable. (I now have pictures on my phone of random strangers...)

For now here's a lovely photo of an avocado that was sacrificed for a salad on Friday:

I'm off to make a to-do list! I have some stuff to edit and print this week, and I need to start running again (I'm planning on doing a 10K on the 4th of July). Out of desperation, I'm seriously considering wearing swim goggles because of the pollen....

Cascades, Antelope, Shaniko, Condon

2011-06-13T00:27:00.000-07:00

More recent Oregon photos:
Fossil, Oregon
Fossil Park

sidewalks and blue sky

2011-06-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to disregard the rule of thirds to capture a unique image.
The sky in the first image below makes everything look small. It's OK, though, because this was a deliberate image. I wasn't able to get any closer to the mountains at the time this photo was taken, but I wanted to draw attention to them. If I had used the rule of thirds, the lower part of the picture would be cluttered with fields, bushes, trees, animals, and roads.

It's not the best photo I've ever shot on my dslr, but I like that you can see how expansive the sky is. Breaking the rules won't always result in stunning images, but it will make any point-and-shoot travel photos more interesting.

Edward Weston once said: “To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection.”

Still, because photography is an art it's very possible to float off the sidewalk up into that blue sky.

happy birthday

2011-06-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

My little sister, Susanna Jubilee, turned 8 yesterday, but the real celebration happened today. So far, her birthday has involved a trip to the mall yesterday afternoon, a breakfast date with dad, a piñata, lots of candy, and a cute new outfit my mom picked out. (Also some new journals from my dad because unbeknownst to most of my family, she has been recording her daily activities on sheets of copy paper and stuffing them behind her bed.)
And the day isn't over yet!

verde

2011-06-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Clarkston, Washington

2011-06-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

I spent a Saturday last month in Clarkston with two of my brothers and my dad. We spent most of the day outside with our friends boating, having a mini bbq picnic on the river shore, and exploring the fields. There was also a climbing expedition (up that huge hill you see behind me in the first picture) that I passed on because hiking through dense underbrush in flipflops didn't sound appealing to my insect-hating self.

Just a few blocks away from our friends' house is a huge field (you can see evening pictures of that same field here) that suddenly drops away. In the following pictures you can see the boys walking towards the edge of the cliff. Lewiston Idaho is in the distance.

Evy

2011-06-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

jerome

2011-06-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

the vegetable-eating dog and lemon poppyseed cupcakes

2011-06-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm posting some pictures of my labradoodle because I groomed her last Thursday. Also because she is always around me when I photograph food. She deserves some recognition here.

Lately, Lucy has become interested in the vegetarian lifestyle. A midlife crisis, if you will. A few weeks ago Andre fed her pickles and tomatoes. She also likes strawberries, carrots, and lettuce. My dog is basically a bear, a horse, a rabbit, and an alpaca all rolled into one.

While I was photographing cupcakes last Saturday, she watched me. Hoping I left a battery upstairs. Hoping that one of the warm, fragrant cupcakes I just made would miraculously sprout legs and dive off the table....into her mouth, of course.
It's kind of funny because I have a collection of prints from when I was younger of my cat sitting next to various birthday cakes. My hypothesis? Cats are not tempted by frosting. Dogs are.

Dogs are like furry garbage disposals. Garbage disposals accept food. Garbage disposals don't accept stuff like plastic shopping bags, beach sand, glass or any other foreign objects or substances. (My garbage disposal knows this....)

Lucy ate a eucalyptus sprig covered in glitter one Christmas. All you need to know is that the episode ended with an impromptu grooming job with a hose outside on a 40 degree day.
Is it bad to tell the world that your dog pooped glitter once? I'm sorry.

If you're not a dog person, I can understand. You don't want to hide your food? Your sparkly eucalyptus leaves? Okay. We can talk about cupcakes now.

I found a recipe for a plain white cake from epicurious -- you can see it here. It's a bit complicated for a cake recipe, but so worth it. I promise I'm not a cake snob. I love box mixes. Still, I wanted to find a good white cake recipe. Just because. And this one did not disappoint.

I made the mistake of not adding enough lemon zest to the batter. These cupcakes could have been more exciting. But really, what's not to like? The recipe makes 12 cupcakes, plus one 9 inch round layer.

I made up a cream cheese frosting in my head. I could have added lemon juice, although I don't know how that would have worked with cream cheese.

Question: does anyone actually follow a frosting recipe? I'm unable to.

white cake
[see original recipe from Sweet Melissa Patisseries in Brooklyn New York, on epicurious.]

ingredients
* 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing pans
* 4 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted, plus additional for dusting pans
* 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 3/4 cups milk
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups sugar
* 9 large egg whites
* zest of 3 lemons
* As many poppy seeds as you want, I used about a quarter of a cup.

prep
Arrange oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pans and line bottom of each with round of parchment. Butter paper, then dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In small bowl, combine milk and vanilla.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on moderate speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add 1/2 of flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add milk mixture and beat until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture, poppy seeds and lemon zest and beat until just combined, then raise speed to moderately high and beat 10 seconds. Transfer to large bowl.

In clean bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.

Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter to lighten. Gently fold in remaining 2/3 of egg whites until just incorporated. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tops are springy to touch and testers come out clean, about 30 minutes for 6-inch cake, 45 minutes for 9-inch cake, and 60 minutes for 12-inch cake. Cool cakes in pans on racks 30 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool cakes completely.

(Cakes may be stored at room temperature, tightly wrapped, 2 days; refrigerated up to 5 days; or frozen, double-wrapped, up to 2 weeks. Do not unwrap before thawing.)

fossil park

2011-05-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about doing another recipe post, or writing about how last night I dreamed that grizzly bears were chasing me around my house and the only way to get rid of them was to remove all Carhartt jackets and hiking clothes from the premises, but today I feel like sharing some shots from the fossil park on the side of the Shaniko-Fossil Highway. It's not the quite the John Day Fossil Park, but it's pretty close. (Both distance and appearance-wise.)

You can't see it very well, but there's a trail that winds up through the rocks. I was totally expecting to get bitten by a snake.

I hope you all are having a pleasant Memorial Day weekend!

greek yogurt lemon poundcake (with blueberries)

2011-05-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

I had my first s'more of the year yesterday. True story. To be honest it was roasted over my gas stove, so no, it's not a legitimate member of the camping-food family. Still, toasted marshmallows are delicious. Especially the powdery epidermis that get all brown and crinkly. I admit I'm the kind of person who likes sandwich crusts, brownie edges, and marshmallow skins.

We used a bag of those obese marshmallows that were probably created to put an abrupt end to any chubby-bunny tournaments elementary-age boys might start.

I witnessed my 13-year-old brother fail miserably last night as he tried to stuff just one into his mouth.

You probably clicked on this link to read about pound cake though, so I'll erase that previous image from your brain. You're welcome.

This blueberry lemon cake was the result of a nighttime baking session a few days ago. I adapted the recipe from this sour cream and lemon pound cake from epicurious. Except I added blueberries, and used plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream...because yogurt is always a better choice.

This recipe makes enough for two small loafs and 12 muffins. (I didn't double it.)
I put just a small amount of batter into the loaf pans because I was worried that that the center would still be dough-like when I took it out of the oven.

ingredients
* 3 cups cake flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 3 cups sugar
* 6 eggs, room temperature
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
* 1 cup plain greek yogurt

prep
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease pans. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in yogurt. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.

Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

(original recipe here)

Happy baking! Also, go make yourself a s'more. You won't regret it.

the violet hour

2011-05-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

The three photos below taken in Clarkston, Washington are my new favorites. I tried to edit them as little as I could (just a little contrast, expo, auto RAW stuff) but it's still so hard to capture the scene just like it was.

I took a walk in these fields as the sun set and found this family of deer enjoying their evening stroll:

It's peaceful out here. You could walk for hours in the swaying grass trying to catch up to the elusive deer who always manage to reach the top of a hill before you.

"The Violet Hour" by the Civil Wars doesn't have lyrics, but if it did, I think they would be about this place.

I never thought Eastern Washington could be so beautiful.

Fossil, Oregon

2011-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

On our way up to Idaho last week Andre, Louis and my dad and I stopped in Fossil, Oregon. Fossil (population about 470) is a quiet place. The tombstones on a nearby hill look out over the Fossil Baptist church and the roofs of the sleepy bars, diners, and houses.

There are no grocery of coffee chains anywhere in sight. There are about three restaurants to choose from. Kids ride bikes down main street as the sun sets, and if you stop at the vending machine at the old gas station you'll probably get a drink that, while cold, is covered in dust.

We spent Thursday night at the Bridge Creek Flora Inn- an old, two story house with a large porch. A phone number was scribbled on a note attached to the front door. There is zero cell coverage in Fossil so we left in search of a payphone. Fifteen minutes later we were back at the house waiting for some to come unlock the door for us. A man with waist-length dreadlocks pulled up in a truck and we went inside.

My dad and I were suddenly reminded of Psycho. Maybe it was the large kitchen knife lying next to the basement door outside. Or maybe it was the old mahogany staircase, or because we were locked out of the left wing of the house.
We loved it. My dad just has a talent for finding interesting places to eat and stay.
That night after dinner in a local cafe I set my alarm for 7:00 and fell asleep in a very comfortable bed.

I like this place.

studies in black and white I

2011-05-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a "b&W only" post in a while, so here are a few recent ones from my Aperture library that caught my eye:

This strange mission-style house is slowly being taken hostage by various kinds of Oregon vegetation.

I'm pretty sure this is what a bird would see if it was about to land on that branch. A bird with seriously messed up sight, obviously.

Experimental black and white portraits of Louis.

This Chernobyl-esque building would make a great photoshoot location, except that it's surrounded by a fence. Typical.

In other news, I've been working on my etsy shop a bit. Thank you for all the comments in response to Olivia's giveway, and congrats to Kendra, who won! I'll be putting your package in the mail tomorrow, Kendra:)

On Thursday I'm leaving on a road trip through central Oregon, Washington and up to Idaho.Yay!

I hope everyone has a lovely rest of the week...

the instagram diaries edition IV

2011-05-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm sitting at my desk icing my abused wrists (thank you Beethoven Sonata) and it really does feel like the end of the school year. My final essay of the year and a piano exam eval. sheet are lying in front of me. In just a few short weeks after the rest of school wraps up, I will be a senior. I don't have a very clear of what my last year of high school will be like (or even where I'll be living!) but I'm looking forward to it.

Here are some of my favorite iPhone shots from the last few weeks. Or months...

Left: Daniel eating chocolate cake after church. He might be one of the most adorable little kids ever.
Right: Andre and Louis climbing the Butte.

Left: Yummy Easter food, including this cake.
Right: My neighbor's cat firmly planted on my homework.
Left: My new favorite hairstyle.
Right: Some lovely sun enjoyed on an afternoon run.

Left: Mikaela's grapefruit juice.
Right: The pink windows at Yogurt Extreme are my new inspiration. Except I usually don't get along with pink...
Left and Right: A few Mother's Day shots.

Left: We went to cupcakery for Mother's Day. My mom and I plan on opening one someday, if you were wondering.
Right: Late night homworking with Andre.

Left: Finished papers!!!
Right: Using up my dad's Starbucks free drink cards. Which led to this conversation:

Me: Andre, I can't believe you just ordered a venti frappuccino. That is such a girly drink.
Andre: No it's not. Girls can't handle venti strawberry frappuccinos.

I guess there is some truth to that. And to Andre's credit, it was actually Louis who drank the strawberry. And to my mom, who is reading this, I will point out that the picture of the "man drinks" was taken in a parked car. I'm a good Oregon driver!

my saturday

2011-05-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today involved Mikaela, a new frozen yogurt place, silly pictures, and lots of wandering around. It was a good day.

(Mikaela's in the plaid scarf, I'm wearing green:)

newspaper dress

2011-05-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

Just one shot for now:) I know I've already posted it on my FB fan page, but here it is again...

Also, I'm giving away one item from my Etsy shop over on Olivia's lovely blog this week. Go check it out.

p.s. I'm also trying to organize my previous posts, since a lot of my blog images disappeared after my previous photo storage site crashed. The new "categories" page is HERE and will be added to. My blog might get kind of disorganized in the next few days...

a preview to the drinkable color palette...

2011-05-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm photographing all my homemade smoothies now. I'm sure the resulting collection of pictures will be a delicious looking pastel rainbow. Significantly more appetizing than a paint chip collection. Maybe Jamba Juice will hire me as a photographer if I make them a poster. But they probably won't because this post is about how you can make smoothies at home that are are equal (if not superior) to any others. I don't like smoothie recipes. I like smoothie "suggestions." So here are two. (Mine were made in a Vitamix...)

Left: Apricot nectar, greek yogurt, orange juice and frozen mangoes and peaches.

Right: Apricot nectar, orange juice, cinnamon, greek yogurt, strawberries

I want to paint these

2011-05-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to vary my content a bit more on this blog in the next few weeks. That's the nice thing about blogging though, I can post whatever I want. Sometimes it's a portrait shoot, or weekend pictures. Other times my posts are about Trader Joe's flowers sitting on the dining room table for a house showing:

The end. I have an essay to write (last one of the year!) a ton of piano practice, and some other stuff that needs to be wrapped up by June.

Also, this is my latest favorite find....I want it on my wall. Click on it to view large.

sunday on campus

2011-05-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

cake

2011-04-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

What I made for Easter Sunday:

(Smitten Kitchen carrot cake + vanilla buttercream dyed pink with blueberry and blackberry juice.)

Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Muffins

2011-04-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

So...yes, I will be posting pictures of that dress I mentioned. I promise a post is in the works:)

In other news, it has been sunny here all week. That sounds too good to be true if you live in the Pacific Northwest, right? Wrong! All of the (literally) white people like myself crawled out of our houses like mole rats to get 15 minute sunburns. (Note, under no circumstance google "mole rat." You're welcome.)

The trees are blooming, it's Easter weekend, and life is good.

This week, thanks to my mom, I had possibly one of the best muffins I've ever tasted. She baked them, I photographed them.
These muffins are a variant of the lemon ricotta blackberry muffins found here.
They remind me a blueberry bar, cake, scone and traditional muffin all rolled into one. And a sugar cookie...because of the sprinkles. The sprinkles work wonderfully on these, as long as they're white sprinkles. Psychologically speaking, I can only handle colored sprinkles on cookies.

Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Muffins

adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup ricotta cheese (whole or low-fat is fine)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries

white sparkling sugar sprinkles-for sprinkling on tops

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your fingers. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar and lemon zest mixture together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill each muffin cup half way with batter. Add three blueberries to each muffin cup. Top the muffins with remaining batter so blackberries are covered. Generously sprinkle the sprinkles over each muffin top.

4. Bake muffins for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown. Let muffins cool for five minutes and serve.

Makes 12 muffins

spencer's butte

2011-04-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

A 4 mile hike on a Sunday afternoon is the best...

Eugene Tea Party 2011

2011-04-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

I debated whether or not to post these, because photojournalism seems out of place here. Since my blog is already so random anyway, here they are:

I've dubbed the group below Coffee Zombies. They appeared suddenly and loitered around for a while before stumbling off down the street.

Interestingly enough, the next three photos were taken exactly one year ago with the point-and-shoot I used to use. I'm continually surprised that (some of) the photos taken with my old camera remain my favorites.

There are three kind of pictures I take, not counting total failures (trust me, I have many of those on my hard drive). The first are "random shots"- I point the camera, hit the shutter and later discover a fabulous image. These don't happen often. Then there are the shots that are carefully planned but turn out totally different. In a good way.

But my favorite kind of shots are taken the moment after a flash of inspiration. I suddenly realize what I want my image to look like and then I create it. I'm still trying to master this. Very few of my photographs are direct copies of the ones in my head. It's getting easier, though.

Can you tell which category each image in this post belongs in? Guess.

Side note to photographers: DO spend time looking at your photos. You'll discover fascinating things. At the moment I'm trying to figure out why there's an image of eight kids wearing Santa hats taped to one of the signs above.

as the sun sets

2011-04-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

I love evenings after a day full of sun and rain. The clouds are all delicate shades of yellow or pink and everything else is vivid, saturated, fresh-looking.
Yesterday was particularly busy. After I came home in the evening I knew I had to run outside and capture some of this splendid light. I rode my bike around the neighborhood as the sun set, stopping to take pictures of anything worth looking at. I rarely get to shoot in this light.

Anyway, I thought I'd share these. All the photos in this post are completely unedited. (Not counting my Aperture 3 auto raw adjuster. Love that thing.)

it's spring

2011-04-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

For some reason I can't write in real paragraphs today (school claims all my word-creativity) so I'll just give you pictures today. I really do want to start writing more on my blog...

I could tell you about the new tv reality show my brothers and I want to produce starring my grandpa. He doesn't know yet. But trust me, you're going to want to watch this.
I could tell you about my this-close-to-banging-head-on-wall-while-essay-writing experience.
Or how Gabriel taught me the secret to winning Angry Birds.

But I'd rather show you pictures!

Altogether, this was a good week. My family celebrated my mom's birthday, the sun came out a few times, I found the perfect gray sweater, and I photographed (or rather, my brother photographed) my newspaper dress which I'm going to be posting on here soon.

Anyway, today I went to the market with my mom. This time I brought a proper camera:

just a note: my pricing page is actually up now. For real. I'm up for doing seniors, families, and individuals this spring, so if you're interested just send me an email!

flowers in a mason jar

2011-04-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

the instagram diaries edition III

2011-04-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

I went to the downtown market today with friends. Here's what my iPhone saw:

Good things about this past week:

finishing the Divine Comedy
going to a movie with Autumn and wandering around the mall
finding cute sundresses with my mom
getting slightly sunburnt (although I'm not sure if that's actually a good thing...)
homemade smoothies
NOT being pranked on April Fool's Day....
allergy meds

spring + outfit post

2011-03-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

"Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion,

and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine,

and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul

shall be as a watered garden..."- Jeremiah 31:12

March is definitely the prettiest time of year. I was so close to wearing flip flops last weekend. Something about wearing shoes that cover your toes seems so wrong this time of year.
Even though it's still pretty cool out.
And it rains, a lot.
I have to learn a new Debussy piece and have it ready in a little over a month. It's the "Girl With The Flaxen Hair" or "La fille aux cheveux de lin." Everyone has heard that song. It's like Fur Elise except way better. I normally don't like playing slow music involving huge chords on the piano. Bach is more to my liking. But I love Debussy so much. I'm amazed that he could get those sounds to come out of a piano.
Anyway, I've been listening to recordings of the song played on different instruments. Guitar is currently my favorite, but you can't beat piano.
I know I just posted about my new pricing page, but please ignore that. I've changed my mind about a few things and am in the process of redoing the page. Thanks to lots of online articles and the advice of a photographer friend, I'm planning on doing things a bit differently this spring and summer.

Ok, one more thing I want to post here:

Poll time:

How many of you think of a brother as a tripod with two legs?
How many of you think of a brother as a photographer?

Last Saturday I told Louis and Andre that I wanted to do a thrift-store post on my blog and that I needed one of them to take some pictures of me down the street in front of the neighbor's bamboo bush.
(This is a beast of a bush. Someone gives it a haircut once a year with a chainsaw...I have never seen a plant grow that fast.)

Anyway, they were so thankful that I wasn't trying to take their pictures that they willingly obliged.

I love thrift stores. Everything I'm wearing in this picture (including the shoes) came from a thrift store. My mom and I found this Gap skirt at St. Vincent's a few weeks ago for $7. It's my new favorite.

I should tell you that were it not for a camera-check I did mid-session, there wouldn't be any outfit post. It took my brother a while to figure out that I didn't want a picture of just my face.

So...what is the best thing you've found at a thrift store? My mom and I once spotted a disco ball. Tragically it was already on its way out the door in the arms of another person. Oh well...

on this sunny spring day...

2011-03-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

....I took photos of this talented lady. A while back she photographed me, and I was so pleased to actually have some nice pictures of myself to keep. Definitely go check out her work!

All of the following images were taken at Mt. Pisgah near Springfield, Oregon. I could shoot there for hours. No kidding.

It's now spring, oh joy. I can now revel in all the fabulous light I have at my disposal.

bike ride

2011-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few photos from a bike ride yesterday afternoon. It's spring, but it doesn't feel like it. Yet.

site update

2011-03-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

I recently updated my investment page. I'm doing seniors, families, and individuals this spring-- so if you want your pictures taken in the Oregon rain (just joking, I will wait for a sunny day!) send me an email.

city lights

2011-03-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

I love cold, misty spring nights. Tonight we drove up to the top of a hill, only to find a dozen other people carrying cameras. Super Moon wasn't quite as large as I expected, but it was beautiful anyway.

Yesterday someone twittered about savethewords.org. It's might be the most annoying site you'll visit this week, but it's kind of brilliant. Here are the words I've adopted:

cibosity
snobographer
quaeritate
succisive
snollygoster

So if anyone hears me using them throughout the week, I promise I'm not trying to sound smart. Obviously just takin' care of all my children....

Tried to persuade Louis to adopt a few, but he refused. What can I say? I love words and sentences. I like looking at words in other languages. I love discovering quirks about English I've never thought of before....thank you Spanish grammar.

It was warm enough to go outside without a coat early this afternoon. I can't remember the last time I left the house without a jacket. Can't wait to take photos next week.
Rediscovered Lovely Listing today. I've been taking real estate photos of my family's home (the plan is to move to Portland after we sell the house) this past week so naturally pictures of butter houses and clone stamp wars are extra hilarious.

I'm really excited to show you something of an art project I've been working on for a while. If I can finish it.....any guesses what it is?

rain and sun

2011-03-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Daniel are youth ambassadors for the Arthritis Foundation. I had the opportunity to photograph them today for a juvenile arthritis brochure and web page.

It took us a while to get started because of a huge rainstorm...but the sun eventually came out. Success! I really love how the shoot turned out. Here's one photo:

And here are some spring-ish shots I grabbed late this afternoon. Daylight saving is the best.

I can't wait until next week - I'm (hopefully) going to be posting a lot of fun stuff up here on the blog.

Until then, studying will take up my time. Dante's Paradise and essay writing for the win!

the instagram diaries edition II

2011-03-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Left: my dad, painting.
Right: a sunny Friday. Unfortunately it's now raining again. Actually had a storm this afternoon!
Left: the dog grooming place. Normally we use the "self serve" dog wash, but since Lucy's a poodle she needs a real hair appointment now and then.
Right: Lucy's favorite place, the kitchen.
Baked apples and panini for dinner Sat. night.

On Saturday I made Joy the Baker's cinnamon bread for church the next day. SO DELICIOUS. Now that I've told you about this creation you are obligated to go make it.
Left: Susanna after church, sporting one of the headbands I made her.
Right: blank notebook paper. Hello new week!

sunday

2011-03-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

I love the still life photos in the latest Anthropologie catalogue. So gorgeous...

Reminds me of these: (Note the apricots, bowl of cherries, and light-colored tablecloths. Copycatting at its best!)

Still Life With Flower Holder, Paul Cezanne

Still Life With Plate of Cherries, Paul Cezanne

Speaking of Anthro, my friend Elisabeth is having a giveaway on her blog. Stop by and enter! Also, bookmark her blog. She has great sense of humor, and she posts cute pictures of her kid.

These are some cute shoes I found the other day at Goodwill for $5. I love them. That's all.

the instagram diaries edition I

2011-02-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

Weekend instagrams:

Left: mom and dad at breakfast
Right: cafe near the university. (My dad's birthday is three days after mine!)

Left: coconut flan made by my mom for my dad's birthday desert Thursday.
Right: homemade almond joys with sea salt and cocoa powder I made for a church function Friday night.
Left: practicing Handel aria Friday afternoon for for the solo festival Saturday.
Right: Jerome, thinking.

Left: on the way home from church
Right: flowers blooming on the porch.

carrot muffins (with spinach...)

2011-02-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Notice: DO NOT pay attention to this recipe! I made coconut almond truffles with sea salt today and will be sharing pictures soon! Chocolate galore! Why would you feed yourself spinach muffins?

Now that I've just told you that, let's get on to the muffins. Because they really are delicious. And even though I only put a handful of finely chopped spinach into the batter...they are relatively healthy.

I used this carrot cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen. A few changes were made- I took out the raisins and walnuts, and forgot the ginger. I added lemon zest. (Already told you about the spinach.) I didn't make the maple frosting and instead opted for a topping of brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats.

I used unbleached white flour for these. If you wanted to you could you could use whole wheat flour, but to be honest I'm just not brave enough to serve someone Whole Wheat Carrot Spinach Muffins. At that point I'd just go for some seed bread and raw spinach.

After all, we could be eating that butter-heavy bundt cake I posted a few weeks ago.

Obviously these muffins would not feel at home in the vegetable family. Their sugary tops would betray their true identity- breakfast sirens enticing you with little pieces of shredded roots and leaves.

Deb (from SK) calls this "a great little recipe to tuck away in your files come January when the entire world is on a diet but somehow thinks that three cups of grated carrots makes these babies 'health' food."

I'm sure my measly handful of spinach is only encouraging this deception...

Go here to see the original recipe. I won't bother writing out my version, because it's so simple. Don't add too much spinach. The measurements for the topping ingredients don't have to be very exact. Just make sure your topping is nice and crumbly....

alvord desert in watercolors

2011-02-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

A month or so ago I was thinking about how much I hate painting. This naturally meant that a few days later I would be painting something. Obviously nothing spectacular, but watercolors are so much fun to play with.

I had a very nice 17th birthday on Monday. I received an iPhone from my parents, found a pair of jeans that actually fit, my grandparents came over for dinner, and we all had roasted brussel sprouts with sea salt and bananas foster. (I challenge you to come up with something more delicious.)

***

A few years ago my dad jumped into a swimming pool (in street clothes) to fish out my younger sister- who had naively followed her adventurous (then 9-year-old brother Gabe) into the deep end. The iPhone in his pocket was deemed useless after this incident and replaced. Louis received the seemingly dead iPhone and eventually resuscitated it.
So the night I got my nice new phone, Louis decided it was an appropriate time to download a free texting app on his sans-service phone. Now he texts me, begging for ice cream, insulting me, commenting on the weather- oh wait, that text was from my other brother who is now the owner of my old iTouch.

Clearly, I am doomed to a life of long, inane, hilarious conversations. Conversations, I will add, that are grammatically correct. Why yes, when the first iPhone came out I was reading David Copperfield.

weekend

2011-02-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some weekend hipstamatics (in random order) for you all...some were taken by my mom, others by me.

Left: ice cream at Rose's in Northeast Portland last night. Not the best part of town. We only got out of the car once, to get this ice cream.
Right: the view on the way home this afternoon.
Left: Jerome enjoying the ferry.
Right: More driving.
Left: me holding "Diana," my cousin's rabbit. Said rabbit's brothers and sisters are going to be eaten in the near future. Diana escaped this fate and now has doll dresses and spinach in her future.
Right: Mercy and Susanna before bed last night.

friday

2011-02-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's gray and rainy outside today. Here are some things I think are worth posting about:

These are carrot/spinach muffins. You probably couldn't guess that, from the picture. There are flecks of spinach in there. Everyone around here loved these. Next time I'm adding more spinach! I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen today, and made some changes. I'll post the recipe next week.
Feathers. I've been adding them to headbands. I love these particular ones, but can't figure out what to do with them. Earrings? Probably too uncomfortable....
One of the many headbands I've sewn. I'm still deciding whether to sell them on Etsy. I've heard a lot of good and bad things about the site, and know that it takes a lot of patience to establish a shop. I personally wouldn't buy them because I love making things myself. Still, I need to do something with the extras that I won't wear. My sister wears hers all the time so I'll probably make her another one.
So, what do you think?
Maybe I'll have a giveaway sometime...
Homework! This is Dante's Comedy. Purgatory to be exact.

I hope everyone has a pleasant weekend!

bread

2011-02-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

My mom makes lovely loaves of bread.

Artisan Bread In Five Minutes a Day is really a wonderful cookbook. I won't bother to tell you about the details of this method - you can go to the website and read about it. It takes little time and tastes wonderful. My aunt introduced us to it last fall and we've been eating it ever since!

The loaf pictured is white, but my mom has also experimented with whole wheat and semolina flours. Enjoy the pictures! I could seriously photograph bread all day....