• Fall Flea Markets
• Christmas is less than 4 months away
• Nebraska football : )
• Hearty fall menu plans
• Pretty changing colors outside
• Cozying up under a snuggly throw by the fire
• I love that we have 4 seasons

It also helps to know that we can still be outside…having a lazy dinner on the deck or sit on the front porch and chat…I just really hate to see summer go. I know I’m not in the majority, but I will stand by my favorite season, no matter how unpopular she is.

Yesterday, I had the best day. Nothing terribly exciting. I like ordinary days when you can see how blessed you are to have an ordinary day. If you’ve ever experienced a traumatic season of life, you know what I mean. I had time with my bagels in the morning, then I did a little shopping and found some great deals. I have this thing about new sheets. I love linens in general. I picked up a new set of Shabby Chic sheets on clearance at Target, along with a pair of plaid wellies for $12 and a swimsuit coverup for $10. Awesome. I came home and washed the sheets and we slept on them last night. I love to wash linens with extra softener….so much that when you walk up to our house, you can smell it, in an overwhelming sort of way.

I also tried a new recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, the September issue. I can’t find it online, but if you like chicken, sweet potatoes and puff pastry, you need to pick this issue up. It was divine! Tom even liked it a lot. I had leftover puff pastry, so we also had the Cottage’s chocolate pudding on puff pastry…I’m sure we consumed quite a few calories, but they were worth it! I know I’ve posted the pudding recipe before, but I can’t find it, so here it is again:

Carey Cottage Chocolate Pudding

2/3 c cocoa

2 c sugar

1/2 c cornstarch

Whisk these three ingredients together.

Add:

5 c milk

3 egg yolks & 3 eggs

Microwave, stopping every minute or two to stir.

When it’s thick enough, add 2 T butter and a little vanilla.

Last night, I made 1/2 a recipe (this recipe makes a TON) and used 2 jumbo eggs instead of 3 yolks and 3 eggs…it worked fine. My favorite pudding recipe by far, nothing compares. You can use this same base for coconut cream pie filling, deleting the cocoa and adding coconut. I’ve never eaten such amazing coconut cream pie, as we had at the Cottage.

I also wanted to share that I did try my hand at making pesto…and it turned out great! We grilled salmon on Sunday night and the pesto was so tasty with it! I took Nancy’s suggestion and tried Heather Bullard’s recipe.

Since I had never made pesto before, I didn’t realize how little pesto a lot of basil makes. I went out and cut what I thought was a lot of basil and proceeded to make a batch. I bought a dozen small canning jars and was thinking I would use the pesto as a little party favor at the luncheon I was having last Friday. 4 cups of basil makes about 1 cup of pesto. Using pesto as party favors wasn’t going to happen. I used almost all of my basil, reserving a small amount to use in pasta, and I only ended up with about 7 jars. I gave a jar to the guest of honor and another to Donna (she had to work the day of the luncheon, so I took her a care package)and kept the rest!

The poolside luncheon turned out so well. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which made all the difference. I tried to have things as organized as possible, so that once the guests arrived, I wasn’t frantic and I was able to relax with the guests and just enjoy the afternoon. Lin hadn’t ever had a birthday party with friends, so as I was preparing, I was thinking about how special I wanted it to be for her. Tom came home for lunch and did a quick little cleanup of the pool and said that I was like an excited little school girl! and he’s right, I was!

I made the invitations with an older collection from Creativity by Heather Bailey, which I had sort of been hoarding. I love this collection so much and wanted to use it for a special occasion. Here are the invitations before I stuffed them and sent them out.

They aren’t anything super special or perfect, but it was such a great feeling to use something from my stash. They’re simple, but sweet.

I used the same collection for the simple party banner and centerpieces too. The yellow dresser is the piece I wrote about which will now be a changing table for Jared and Beth’s little one. Just typing that makes me smile. We used the dresser for drinks and a few treats. I picked up the purple flowers on clearance at the grocery store…I’m not a purple fan, but I thought this was a lovely shade.

The tablecloth is my favorite and is usually on our dining room table…I was a little nervous to use it outside, but it worked out just fine. I mixed two sets of china, my great grandma’s white china (which I love) and LuRay pastels that I’ve collected over the years. I also mixed the goblets, my Gram’s Fosteria with sweet little yellow goblets I picked up at the thrift shop. I am thrilled to have some of my Gram’s pieces and use them as often as I can. It makes me think of her and how much she would have enjoyed the dinners and lunchs that I use them at.

The tissue flowers were from Harper’s birthday last year and have been hanging in my studio since then. I pulled them off the ceiling and hung them from the tree. I used chairs from all over our house.

Lin looked simply radiant at her party. I wish I could host a poolside luncheon every week! Seriously, I enjoy it so much. One more thing about Lin. She is one of the most real and inspiring women I know. She has such deep faith. She started a blog over 6 months ago, with a few of my other friends, who I had challenged to start one. She initially wanted to keep it anonymous, but has recently decided to identify herself. I think she is brave. For her birthday, I gave her a Lisa Leonard necklace with a heart and the word “courage”. I think it fits her perfectly. You can check out her incredible, gutwrenchingly honest writings here: just me being real. Give her some love.

Today is my Auntie Jaynee’s birthday…and I wish she was here, so I could spoil her with a birthday party! You know I would Auntie J. Love you to pieces and hope you have the best day today!!!

Uncle Dave and Auntie Jaynee from last summer.

Just a little bit of business talk:

I am still scheduling Senior Sessions for 2011 Seniors. Just keep in mind if you are a Fremont High Senior, the yearbook deadline is the first week of December, so don’t hesitate to contact me soon! I’m booked through September, but I can still take a few for October.

Also, if you plan to have family photos taken for Christmas cards, I have plenty of openings in October and November, but I won’t be able to do any Christmas card sessions in December. So think ahead! I know it’s hard…I’m busting it myself to get 2010 samples done! I’m taking our kid’s family photos this weekend so that they can be my “samples”. I have a much more defined plan this year! Live and learn! I simply adore the designs I will be using this holiday season. Can’t wait to show them! Oh and if all you need are a handful of shots for cards, I plan to offer something special that includes cards. This won’t be a good option if you are wanting a large group session….this will be for small groups or singles. The tentative date is Sunday October 10. More details next week.

God bless you!

Thanks for your patience with seeing these peeks guys-

His cleft chin is one of the first things I noticed about photographing his face….sorta like Russell Crowe, right? I hope he gets how distinctive and cool it is.

My favorite.

Deb’s idea for this shot…she has a good eye.

He’s such a great looking guy without thinking it…..which makes him even better looking. I know my opinion isn’t the one he’s looking for, I’m just sayin….

Tomorrow, I’m hoping to share some photos and details about the grownup luncheon in our backyard mimicking the little girl’s tea that I did about 4 or 5 weeks ago. It was so much fun that I want to do it again soon!

Have a great day and God bless!

*b* list of lists

• to do list. My to do lists used to consist of household tasks and everyday type things…now it’s more work-related….like order proofs from July 17 wedding, build web gallery for Lindsey, project for Jenni Bowlin, subs for Fiskars…you get the idea. It’s funny how life changes. I like keeping my to do lists on paper, because I love the feeling of crossing things off!
• books. I’ve kept a list of books I’ve already read and books that I want to read. Anytime anyone recommends a book, I add it to the list. I used to keep it on paper, but for a quite a while now, I’ve used Goodreads.com. I know I’ve shared that many times. I don’t know if I’ve shared how much I love to print off my list of books that I want to read, to take to the book store or library. So handy!
• junking list. I have a running list in my little notebook with things I’m looking for, along with measurements. I’ve had a light fixture for my entryway on this list for months and months and still haven’t found one, but I know someday I’ll find the right one.
• home improvement projects. This is one slow moving list. I’m happy to say that one thing will be checked off the list this weekend. We will finally have the deck floor painted. Sunday, I scrubbed the covered deck ceiling down with bleach water, while Tom scraped and primed the floor. It will feel so good to have this done! The list is neverending.
• craft projects. Any time I get an idea for a project, I write it down, because I don’t often get to create when I want to create. Know what I mean? But I have a list of projects, just waiting!
• menu ideas and recipes. If I have it written down and I’m at a loss as to what to make, it’s good to be able to check the list and come up with something that sounds good. I’m sure there is probably a good way to keep a list online, but I haven’t done that yet.
• grocery list. I try to keep a running list of what we need, so that I don’t just walk into the store with no idea of what we need.
• wish list of stuff. As I was sitting by the pool one day eating bonbons (ya right!), I made a list of things that we want…not need, but want. Just a fun wish list. I think it’s good to know what you would buy, if you had the money. I haven’t dwelt on it or even looked at it again, but it was fun to write it all down.
• bucket list. I started a bucket list two years ago after watching the movie. I still haven’t checked many things off, but I do think about it : ) At the top of the list is a missions trip…I hope that happens soon.
• photo locations and ideas. Tom and I will often take a drive just looking for cool, out of the way locations to shoot. I always have a pen and paper to jot down places…because if I don’t, I do usually forget where I saw things that caught my eye. I think I won’t forget, but I do. That is why I love pen and paper. A great way for a person with lots of scattered ideas to gather and collect them in an organized manner.

What do you keep lists of? I love to hear ideas.

I want to share peeks of another senior session. Rudi and her mom and I scoped out some awesome industrial locations, along with a couple of other really unique spots. They were privy to a couple of industrial locales, that I’ll probably never have access to again. They have connections : )

I love sassiness.

This one was taken at Rudi’s Grandparent’s house….they have the most gorgeous flower garden!!!

Thanks for having me take your senior photos Rudi!

God bless each of you!

To those of you who have a blog and invest the time and energy to share, thank you! Even if we don’t comment on a regular basis, at least I think we all know that we’re still supportive of each other and if any one of us needed something, we’d be there. Facebook has helped me to stay in touch at least a little with a few of the friends I met through 2peas.

This week, I’ll be sharing lots of senior peeks. I apologize to those of you who have been waiting to see. I didn’t realize how behind I would be. But this week should catch me up! I have lots of family and friends shots to share too. Last week I hosted a little poolside luncheon for my pal Lin….it was so much fun! Can’t wait to share those shots. Today is actually her bday, so Happy Birthday Lin! I hope you have the bestest day!

As crazy as it sounds, I’ve started talking to our kids about getting Christmas photos done, so that I can do Christmas card samples. Hopefully this week and next, I’ll be getting those shots. I was talking to Beth and realized that I haven’t taken more than 2 or 3 photos of them since their wedding last October! Not good! Can you believe it’s already time to think about Christmas photos?

I recently took Shelby’s senior photos….thanks for your patience to see your peeks Shelby! Shelby, her mom LaRae and I had an awesome time scouting out some really remote locations! They were both so trusting and willing to go with whatever I came up with….and I came up with some crazy stuff!

We took her cheerleading shots in a very nontraditional location!

Love this one….and you wouldn’t believe what we had to walk through to get to it. Anything for a shot!

Whoa. so gorgeous.

Thanks for being so willing to try lots of different (truly!) locations and ideas Shelby!

Have a good Monday everybody!

God bless!

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

As a parent, I don’t know what could be more comforting. A promise from God that if we guide/train up (love, discipline, encourage, correct, teach) our children, when they are old, they won’t depart from it. The scary part is that they may fall away or rebel for a time. The sermon I heard just kept going back to trusting the promise. Which is so hard to do when you have a rebellious teenager or even adult child. Nothing breaks my heart more than a brokenhearted parent. Recently, there was a tragic accident locally and as the young driver (who has been charged with drunk driving, causing the accident) was interviewed, his brokenhearted parents were seated behind him, crying and obviously distraught…my heart broke for them. He was a good kid, intelligent, with so much going for him…yet he made a really bad choice that will have long term consequences. We do our best as parents and even though we make mistakes, we pray that our best efforts will rise above our failures. I hate when it doesn’t work out that way.

I just have to believe that even when terrible tragic events happen, something good will come of it eventually. I know that God can use anything for His good, if we love Him. This morning I read this:

“Blessed is that life which is so thoroughly rooted down into the life of God that it can feel and know that, though time moves slowly in long-drawn-out tests and trials, God’s tides move steadily on in accomplishing His glorious purposes”. Quests and Conquests

Trust. One of the most difficult things to do in the midst of heartbreak. But if our heartbreak and trials are related to our children’s choices, what a comfort that verse in Proverbs is! It is something to cling to when everything seems hopeless!

I feel compelled to make it perfectly clear that I am not writing this in regard to my own children! I am humbled that they rose above my failures and are making good choices and living good lives, and love me and treat me with respect. What a blessing. I don’t take it for granted. There are parents who did a much better job than I did and they are suffering because of the rebellion or bad choices of their children. No matter how old our children are, they are still our children. (How often have I written that?) I just have a huge heart for people who are going through tough times with their children no matter the age of the children.

Here’s the thing I don’t fully understand: As an adult, why not forgive your parents, if they “did you wrong”? Why hold a grudge and perpetuate the ugliness? I’m not insensitive to abuse or neglect…I just don’t see how hanging onto hate and blame helps anything? And if you were mistreated, forgiving your parents certainly doesn’t make what they did alright.  I just wouldn’t want it to hold me back. I think it makes my life better to treat my parents with love and respect. None of us knows what the future holds, but I do know that things can change in a heartbeat and then you can’t go back and fix it. I have a friend who did not have a good childhood, but she treats her mom really well….takes her to doctor’s appointments, to lunch, shopping (and she pays!) and I truly respect her for that. I know it’s not easy.

Here’s another thought: I believe we reap what we sow, so if that’s the case, how do adults who disrespect their parents, not have it cross their minds that their own children might do the same to them? Some call it karma.

This whole line of thinking may be a little too close to my heart right now. My heart is breaking for a family I love so very much. They are going through a very tough time and I just want to encourage them and let them know that I love them and that I am clinging to the verse in Proverbs for them. Praying it every time they come to my mind.

How do I post photos after such a heavy topic? I don’t know, but I know that if I don’t, I will be even more behind on sharing my awesome clients peeks : )

I met Nancy quite a few years ago through paper crafting and scrapbooking. I don’t think she does much scrapbooking per se anymore, but she is a rockstar of altered art and paper crafts! I recently did a session with her for a headshot she needs for a really cool craft gig:

We had a good time, chatting and catching up. She has a really cool new craft gig with Donna Downey.

So a few weeks later, we met up again for a family session-

She looks so much like her big sister did when I took their photos a couple of years ago!

Hello sweet freckles.

She posed herself : )

I couldn’t resist.

It was great to see your family again Nancy!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

God bless!

I recently met and took Micah’s senior photos. He’s a quiet, goodhearted young man. He’s a runner and has an interest in his family farm….and I think he’s awesome. I’m sure that will thrill him : )

I enjoyed my time on their farm, exploring new territory and hanging out with Micah and his parents.

Have a great evening and God bless!

On to the *b* list : )

*b* list on why I love Costco:

• fresh produce. It can be hard to find good peaches and avocados in Nebraska. I buy them at the grocery store, bring them home and try a bite and throw them in the garbage. Not so, when I get them at Costco. The peaches, avocados, pineapple, and limes that I picked up last week have been wonderful! I haven’t had to throw anything away. With only two of us, the amount we need to buy is a little daunting, but I’ve eaten half an avocado a day, as well as all of the other produce I picked up and even with all the avocados, I’ve lost a couple of pounds! Having great produce on hand makes eating right so much easier. I saw Martha on the Today show yesterday and she recommended keeping your produce out in pretty bowls on the counter….exactly what I’ve been doing for years. I’m convinced that having it visible is key. I have to say that I love the local farmer’s market, but there are some things you just can’t get there and I think Costco is the next best thing!
• entertaining needs. Any time I know we will be entertaining, I hit Costco. I can always count on being able to get just what I need. The only other “must stop” place is Whole Foods. I can get everything I need with just these 2 stops!
• books. I can’t stop at Costco and NOT look at the book section. The prices are SO low! I picked up the last in the Larsson Stieg’s trilogy, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. It was only $15 and it’s a hardcover. I’ll put in on Ebay when I’m done, along with the other two books. I’ve found great cookbooks at Costco too at a great discount.
• fresh flowers. I don’t often buy flowers at Costco, because it’s 35 minutes or more from my house and generally, I have other stops to make. However, I always admire the flowers and they seem to be moderately priced.
• cookware. I’ve had my eye on the Kirkland Stainless cookware for a couple of years and couldn’t ever justify buying the set. It’s under $200, but you know how that goes. I’ve had the same discount Calphalon pans for many years and I know that the Teflon coating is not good, so when I stopped and looked for the millionth time last week, Tom said he would buy them for me. I heart that man. My Aunt Mary’s SO Dave, is a cook AND a consumer researcher….and he told me years ago, that the Kirkland Stainless won high marks across the board, even against highend competitors. So I trust that it’s good stuff. I just used one of the pans for the first time at noon. So far, so good….although I haven’t washed the pan yet.
• returns. My friend Kelly has raved about how much she loves Costco’s easy returns. So, when Brooke complained that her carpet cleaner from Costco was a disappointment, I told her to try returning it. She took it in, after several months of using it, and told them that she wasn’t happy with the quality. They returned her money, no hassle! That’s impressive! By the way, before I move on, you need to check Kelly’s blog out in September. She is planning to make September a “sewing month”…and I can’t wait to see what she makes and shares on her blog!
• photos. I personally don’t have my photos printed at Costco, but I have quite a few friends who do. They say they love it and once again, the price is right. I did have a few things printed that I needed in a hurry for a project at home and they did a good job.

When I like a store or a place of business, I’m generally very loyal. I’m obviously a big fan of Costco, but I also love Target and JCrew : ) I feel like I’m cheating on Target and JCrew by doing a post dedicated to Costco!

I love when I get to take photos of returning clients. Doing senior photos for a sibling of a past senior photo client is awesome! I took Melissa’s older sister Megan’s senior photos 2 years ago and now Melissa is up.

You just never know : )

She’s a reader which makes her a kindred spirit.

It was good to see Megan again…and to catch up on what she’s been doing. After hearing about her summer, I wanted to be her!

One of the chairs in their great room was soooo cool, I had to use it. Added lots of grain with a conversion called funky grunge. Thanks for continuing the tradition Melissa! I hope you like the peeks!

Have a great day and God bless!

I haven’t written much about our meal plans or favorite recipes lately, because frankly I haven’t been very creative with our meals in the past few weeks. I’ve been eating a lot of fresh produce- avocados, peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers….lots of veggie sandwiches. Today, I made my very simple guacamole and ate it with a few flaxseed blue corn chips. I also ate half of a huge peach. Tom ate a leftover steak, beans and the other half of the peach. He is such a carnivore, and although I’m not vegan, I do favor a less meaty diet. So, my favorite “recipe” for guacamole is so simple: I mash an avocado ( I like it chunky), add a handful of chopped “fresh from the garden” tomatoes, a clove of garlic and a touch of salt (not much if you’re eating it with salted chips). That’s it. I used to add a little mayo or sour cream, but I really like it so much better without. I’m a purist about avocados! I’m hoping to make fish tacos, homemade pizza and shrimp pasta this week. Over the weekend, I made peach crisp and it was SO good. Here’s a link to the recipe: Peach Crisp III I must say that I think the key to this being the best crisp recipe EVER, is the homemade granola that I use. I’ve shared that recipe many times, but it bears repeating, in case anyone missed it. Olive Oil Granola. Thank you *food loves writing*!

While I’m on the subject of food and recipes….does anyone have a great pesto recipe? I have tons of fresh basil and parsley in my garden, and I love pesto. Also, does it freeze well? I need help! I’ve rarely made homemade pesto, but I love to eat it!

Speaking of food, Donna reminded me of Jennifer’s Potato Soup recipe Friday night. She’s making it to take to her dad and stepmom this week. Her stepmom has been sick and Donna thought it would be comforting. What a good daughter! I do look forward to fall cooking. But I’m not really looking forward to fall yet. This summer has been such a great summer for the pool. We were so hoping that this summer wouldn’t be a repeat of last summer….cold and wet….and it hasn’t been. Yesterday, Tom and I had one of the best dates ever. Each of us had our own floatie and laid in the pool side by side, holding hands or with a foot hooked to each other’s floatie and listened to awesome relaxing music and sipping a drink all afternoon. It was the best. I had purchased a bunch of new music on itunes, so I burned a CD, which is KILLER. One of the things that we have really enjoyed about our backyard, is not only the pool, but also the outdoor speakers. We love to listen to music as we relax either in the pool or just hanging out or even working in the yard. Tom always listens to music while he vacuums the pool. We still need to do a lot to the house to get it in shape, but we enjoy it as is. We talked about some of the projects we want to do soon, while we laid in the pool. Hopefully, we will make them happen now!

I recently photographed a super fun couple who are not only great looking, but each have their own awesome style! I loved their clothes choices! In addition to all of this, their love and connection made them easy to photograph!

Meet Dan and Kristin:

me loves.

seriously love.

I can’t wait to photograph their wedding in October. It’s already been such a blessing working with them! On a sidenote, the connection that I have with Kristin’s family is quite a story in itself. My mom used to work for a company that provided companionship/care for elderly clients. Quite a few years ago, she would spend time with a client who became very special to her….I often heard her “speak” about Connie and how much she enjoyed both Connie and her family. Connie was Kristin’s grandmother…so even though my Mom knew the family, I had never met them.  When Kristin and Dan got engaged and the search for a photographer began, they talked with friends who had been a part of a wedding I shot last summer. It happened to be the wedding of Phil and Monae, which ended up on the cover of Wedding Essentials. As Kristin’s family checked out my website, they happened to see a photo and post about my mom and realized the connection. I know it wasn’t a coincidence. They were praying about every detail of this wedding, so I believe that God had His hand in them finding me. It’s a good fit! Thanks Dan and Kristin!

Tomorrow’s *b* list will be all about one of my favorite places to shop. Deep stuff people!

By the way, I’m very happy with the winner of Design Star! Emily was my pick from the very first week! I loved Casey too, so I hope that she gets lots of opportunities because of her exposure on DS. Can’t wait until next Sunday when Emily will have a special debut show! Love her and her show concept-transfering your personal style to your home style. Happy, happy!

God bless your day!

I know it’s out of the ordinary for me to post on Sunday, but I wanted to share a link to a post on Elle’s Studio Blog. I was thrilled to be asked to participate in the free journaling class that Elle’s has been hosting all month. If you didn’t know about it and are interested, you’re not too late! Just click on the link and you can go back and catch up. Lots of good ideas and info from some of my favorite people! I enjoy Elle’s products SO much! I first ordered from her a long time ago and have enjoyed using her stuff ever since! Check it out!

You can see a full shot of the layout if you click on the Elle’s link.

Have a great day and God bless!

Today is Mr Greyson Thomas’ 2nd birthday! Happy Birthday Gway, Gway! That’s Harper’s nickname for him : ) I’m planning to take his 2 year photos this weekend. Can’t wait! Last night, we stopped by to drop off his gift and as we were just hanging out, I had Grey on one side and Harper on the other, vying for my attention…and it was divine.

I almost missed out on photographing Lindsey, but I’m so happy that it worked out that we found each other! She was so photogenic, energetic and fun I could have kept shooting all day!

She loves the Beattles : )

Love this!

One of my favorites.

I have to stop. I could share more. I just love the diversity of her interests and personality! Thanks Lindsey!

God bless your day!