One Eye Open

Brand new blog!!!

2009-03-05T20:52:00.003-05:00

Wooooohooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

I am SO excited to bring you guys to my awesome new blog...this is just one of MANY really cool new things coming up soon for my photography business, and I'm so glad you guys are here to share it with me!!

All of my old blog posts are still here, archived away in case you ever want to check out the randomness that was Nov. 2007 for instance...but going forward all new blog posts will be here at MY NEW BLOG!!!!

A part of me will miss my old blogger blog days...it's where I first learned how to google html scripts and insert them at will within code, repeatedly clear my cache file, and it's where I first shared my pictures with everyone. :) But yeah....I think this new blog is definitely worth the switch!!

So please make sure to update your google reader, bookmarks, etc. to my new home!!!

www.sheymarinphotography.com/blog

Click the link above to check out how awesome the big new photos look! :)

Technical FYI

2009-02-28T10:52:00.004-05:00

Hey guys! Just a quick heads up to all you loyal blog readers (hi mom...) that I'm working on some really exciting pieces for my business behind the scenes, so unfortunately for now my website www.sheymarinphotography.com and email may be down off and on for a bit. If you're a client who needs to get in touch with me feel free to call me at 317-650-2718.

Stay tuned for some really cool stuff!

~Shey

Casting call is closed!

2009-02-26T09:36:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all who have responded - I've filled the spots so thank you!! Looking forward to the sessions! :)

High School Student Casting Call!

2009-02-23T16:16:00.004-05:00

Hey guys!!! Are you a high school student (or know of one) who would like to be considered for an awesome casting call opportunity? I'm looking for a high school girl and guy who have fun, outgoing personalities and would like to be a part of my porfolio.

What you give:
- up to 90 minutes of your time, at an Indianapolis outdoor location (TBD), up to 3 outfit changes
- parents' signature on a model release form so I can use your awesome photos in my portfolio

What you get:
- FREE session fee (value of $150)
- FREE set of 8 wallet promos to pass out to your friends/fam
- 1 FREE web ready, low resolution image of your choice from the session for use on your myspace/facebook pages
- 25% off of any additional packages/prints

**Parent or guardian must be present for the duration of the session. Session must be completed before the end of April**

Shoot me an email at shey@sheymarinphotography.com if you'd like to be considered for the casting call! I'll post back here when it's closed!

Thanks!!
~Shey

Look who's crawling!

2009-02-21T16:55:00.003-05:00

And who's somehow getting STILL cuter every day. I love this kid...he's seriously one of the happiest little dudes around. The always smiling, now pointing, crawling machine: my little buddy Cooper.

A Perfect Valentine

2009-02-12T11:21:00.005-05:00

Ahhh Valentines Day. A perfect time to reflect on love, smell the roses, and eat my weight in heart shaped reeces peanut butter cups. 10 lovely ladies also celebrated by having me take their boudoir photos...boudoir photography for me is a way to capture classic beauty mixed with a sexy edge, and these women were definite beauties!!! I only offer limited boudoir sessions each year - if you're interested contact me and I'll give you the full scoop!

The fantastic hair and makeup were provided by the AMAZING Sara Fuller, rockstar stylist from the Entourage salon in Indianapolis on 9431 Meridian St. (317-571-1120) She transformed the girls from beautiful to STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS and gave looks from old hollywood glam to soft natural beauty. Sara is my own personal hair designer as well and I trust her with my head! :) Give her a call if you are looking for phenomenal service and hair/makeup. :) (here's her in action!)

I'm in the works of putting together a special section of my website to highlight this part of my work - so stay tuned! Happy Valentines day!!

Meet Baby Walker

2009-02-08T21:23:00.002-05:00

Walker was ADORABLE - so sweet, cute and little!!! He had the most perfect head of hair and gorgeous little eyes - and he melted my heart the minute I saw him! His parents are awesome too and Walker has twin big brothers who are very excited to have him in the family. Enjoy these sneak peeks of this GORGEOUS baby boy!!

38 minutes

2009-02-06T17:17:00.002-05:00

Dave was under the knife - so to speak - for 38 minutes this morning to fix his nose which was broken on Tuesday night while playing basketball. Neither of us have ever had surgery before - and even though I grew up with my dad being an anesthesiologist I still was a bit nervous for him to get 'gassed'. The docs and nurses were incredible though and he's doing great and resting up at home. Annnnnd he thinks he's playing basketball again next week.

Yeah right.

Sweet Baby Parker

2009-01-31T21:56:00.006-05:00

Today I met beautiful baby Parker and his awesome family! He was so tiny, sweet and adorable - such a perfect little model! His gorgeous mama is featured in my sneak peeks too - I just love that shot of them together! And seriously - check out how cute his tiny little lips are...SO CUTE!

Prepare yourself for some serious baby cuteness....:

Meet baby Beau

2009-01-25T20:32:00.002-05:00

I had so much fun meeting new baby Beau and his awesome family...including gorgeous big brother Jackson! This family was my first session of the new year and I couldnt have had better kids! Little Beau slept like a champ and Jackson was the most photogenic child ever. Enjoy these sneak peeks of these adorable brothers.

well deserved

2009-01-19T22:41:00.002-05:00

sorry for all the screen shots lately...I have a bunch of great photo sessions coming up so I leave you today with #1 in writing. Go Deacs!!!

Mellow talking smack

2009-01-18T18:04:00.001-05:00

He's been watching the Eagles/Cardinals game with Dave all afternoon and thinks McNabb is weak.

I mean seriously...

2009-01-16T07:40:00.000-05:00

brrrrrrr

Casting Call is closed!!

2009-01-09T22:18:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who contacted me for the call! I'm really looking forward to the sessions and cant wait to meet everyone! The casting call is now closed - but check out my website for my winter special which will last through the end of March!

Newborn Casting Call!

2009-01-05T19:57:00.006-05:00

I'm kicking off 2009 with a casting call for newborn models! I have some really cool ideas I'd like to try out and am looking to expand my newborn portfolio - so if you know of a baby due soon in the Indianapolis area keep reading!!

The details:
* your baby needs to be under 10 days old
* session is held in my studio
* parent or guardian must be present and sign a model release form
* session may be geared towards capturing a specific pose/look (but we can try additional ones afterwards if baby wants) :)

What you get:
* waived session fee (value of $150)
* 50% off print and digital packages

Pass this along to your friends and family who are expecting new ones soon! To sign up email me at shey@sheymarinphotography.com and include your due date and I'll post once the call is closed.

Exciting!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T19:11:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all of my awesome clients over this past year. You helped me follow my dreams, get creative, and have so much fun. Thanks for trusting your memories to me - hope you have a fantastic 2009! Here's to the new year!

Happy Holidays!!

2008-12-30T19:27:00.002-05:00

Wishing your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Card designs by (my favorite!) Paper and Ink Studio

"It is in giving that we receive"

2008-12-24T19:40:00.001-05:00

This quote by St. Francis of Assisi has always rung true to my heart. This Christmas (Merry Christmas Eve by the way!!!) I have the special honor of awarding a deserving family a great reward. I posted a week ago about the Giving Is Awesome event that I am participating in and I have to say that I have been blown away by the nominations and the families who prove that there are heroes walking among us. Every family nominated deserves a spectacular holiday and I hope 2009 brings them the peace, light and hope that they all deserve.

The winner of my Giving Is Awesome event is an amazing family, fighting a brave battle (commonly known as cancer) and still staying warm, compassionate, loving and kind every step of the way. I am honored to grant this family this gift and I hope that it brings them some happiness and fun this holiday season. I am keeping their names private to let them enjoy this gift - but thank you to everyone who sent in nominations and to all the families out there who were nominated. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas!

Love,
Shey

The holidays and my randomness

2008-12-22T20:36:00.002-05:00

This post is just going to summarize my past week - the week leading up to Christmas, which in my life = Dave flying to Maryland, my parents in Dubai, my Christmas baking and not quite understanding portion size (or control!), and the disaster mess that is our apartment. It's been a bit crazy trying to keep everything in order.

I do want to quickly make a big thanks to everyone who has submitted nominations for the Giving Is Awesome event I posted below. Every one of the nominations has made me realize how strong and special these families are. They're all so deserving - I hope 2009 is a bright year for them. I'll be announcing the winner on Christmas Eve so stay tuned!

Ok now on to my random pieces:

Baking:

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies:

I basically took this Annie's Eats recipe and added walnuts - pretty simple!

Sugar Cookies using Foodzie's Amish Gourmet's butter....mmmmm and this recipe

I made way too many of these. They were awesome - but one batch made so many cookies and I cant help myself around them. I stooped to pawning them off on coworkers to save myself. My apologies to the finance department - I'm sorry my weakness lead to putting dozens of cookies on your mini fridge.

Cheesy Jalapeno Corn Muffins (again using Foodzie's vendor Nitty Gritty Cornbread mix and recipe)

I served these puppies along side of homemade lentil soup - so yummy!

Then I found my cat passed out on top of all the clothes I've yet to put away...which now have white hair all over. Thanks Mellow. I get the message.

And finally a pic for my dad who's in Dubai right now, but I know would want to see this. I won an award at work last week! It's always nice to be recognized, and I love my job - so this was a really great surprise. Pretend that my grubby fingerprints arent really there. :)

And now just a few more days until we celebrate Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone!

Giving Is Awesome!

2008-12-13T18:08:00.008-05:00

Give someone something special this holiday season:

My friends over at Essential Imagery have set up this fan-freaking-tastic site Giving is Awesome and I wanted to share the love too.

Here is how it works -
You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.
You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $1150 worth, to be exact. The winner will receive a photo session as well as all the digital files to cherish forever. It's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a FREE session worth $150.00. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:
* You cannot nominate yourself.
* The nominee must reside in the Indianapolis metro area, and the sessions need to take place before 5/1/09. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.
* You must e-mail me the full story : shey@sheymarinphotography.com.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- so get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!
Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

Love,
Shey

our finished Christmas tree

2008-12-13T09:27:00.001-05:00

So I went to edit this picture and was basically done when I realized one of my cats had decided to throw up under my tree. Follow the white arrow.

Just keeping it real folks. Stay classy Indiana.

Late Thanksgiving photo

2008-12-10T18:19:00.003-05:00

A picture of almost all of our family on Thanksgiving - I say almost because my mom was down in the kitchen and refused to come up to the living room to be in the photo. :) Classic mom move! We had a great thanksgiving with friends and family celebrating the good food and company. For our family this has been a year filled with great happiness and deep sadness, but I'm so thankful for everyone in my life.

Happy late Thanksgiving

Christmas Tree Hunting

2008-12-07T10:44:00.004-05:00

This weekend Dave and I headed out to our favorite Christmas tree farm and picked out the perfect tree - in the snow. I'm a trooper. I'd never shot in the snow before and I was happy to find some of the cool local plants looking almost more beautiful than they do in the summer. I'll try to get some shots of our finished tree in a few - but for now here are some from our hunt.

Winter Fun!

2008-11-24T07:23:00.002-05:00

I spent a fun afternoon hanging out in great weather (for this time of year!) and a beautiful family. The kids were so sweet, adorable and SO CUTE! I had forgotten how enthralling ducks and geese can be to little kids - so funny!! The whole family is amazingly photogenic and fun spirited as well - oh and their eyes are all stunning.

I had a blast with you guys - enjoy your sneak peeks!!

Christmas is coming!

2008-11-22T19:48:00.005-05:00

To ring in the beginning of the holiday season I spent the morning getting some Christmas themed pics in for my little buddy C! He is almost 8 months now and I've been photographing him since before he was born - he just gets cuter each time I see him! Today he was so good - even when we ventured outside into the FRIGID temps.

Enjoy the sneak peeks Sam and Brett!!!

Foodzie!!

2008-11-15T19:11:00.003-05:00

My friend has started an incredibly cool company called Foodzie (here's their blog).

Pulled straight from their site: "Foodzie is an online marketplace where you can discover and buy food from small artisan producers and growers." We've set up an arrangement for me to try out product photography on her super cool and yummy products. I am posting these photos here so Emily can check them out and see which set up suits her vision most. Here is my go at product photography!! :)

homecoming!

2008-11-09T19:05:00.002-05:00

Dave and I flew back to North Carolina for my 5 year homecoming at Wake Forest University this weekend. WE HAD A BLAST!!!! Oh my gosh - so fun. I am so lucky to have such a great group of friends from college, and whenever we get together it's always awesome. Here are some pics from the great game against UVA - we won!! Go deacs!

Woohoo!

2008-11-04T17:56:00.001-05:00

Weekend with friends - Happy Birthday Dave!

2008-11-02T16:24:00.003-05:00

We had a bunch of great friends and family come into town this weekend to celebrate Dave's birthday, go out for Halloween and an annual bar crawl and go to the Colts/Pats game. Today we've hung low around the house with our friends watching football and enjoying the gorgeous fall weather...so I decided to make the boys some treats. I figured it was the perfect time to try out a recipe that I'd had my eye on for a while. Easy to prepare, ridiculously unhealthy, and guy tested/approved.

Apple Dumplings by The Pioneer Woman:

Then I had 1 pie shell, 1 egg, no room temp butter and limited motivation to go to a store, so I only had a few baking options. I decided to go with a basic apple pie with a crumble top instead of a regular pie shell/lattice top. Turned out pretty tasty!

Apple Crumble Pie:

Happy 29th Birthday Dave!! I love you!

more baking fun

2008-10-27T08:55:00.007-04:00

spent some more time in the kitchen baking up a bunch of goodies. Made some mini carmel apple pies for Dave to take into school, cinnamon applesauce for us, and pumpkin pie for me. Everything made from scratch - except the pie shells which are the gluten free kind from whole foods. I have nothing against gluten...in fact I really dont know what gluten free means (no wheat?) but they were the only shells available so this is what we had to work with. Everything tasted amazing...but I think my favorite was the applesauce. Ammmmmmmazingly good.

Applesauce
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com applesauce . I cut down on the sugar, increased the cinnamon and doubled the recipe:

Mini carmel apple pies
I used the carmel apple pie filling recipe from an earlier post in my blog:
Apple Pie Recipe and then just used muffin tins to create mini pies. They held up great and were surprisingly easy to pop out of the tins. I think these will be easy to eat on the go at school and it's nice not having to deal with utensils and plates and stuff.

Pumpkin Pie
Straight off the back of the Libby's Pumpkin Pie can. Except I used homemade roasted pumpkin puree instead of the canned stuff so I had to find the recipe online: Pumpkin Pie.
I typically will use canned pumpkin, as I think it's a pretty good substitute...but I will say that I love love love pumpkin pie and have convinced myself it's healthy and good for me since it includes a vegetable...so I love it all. Dave doesn't really like pumpkin pie but took one bite of this and made a strange sound which I guess means he liked it. So yeah...trying it with the fresh pumpkin was a hit.

Sweet Lilly

2008-10-26T00:03:00.006-04:00

We had some good friends come into town this weekend and it was so great to hang out with them again! Their beautiful daughter Lilly is about 8 weeks old and stayed pretty relaxed for our mini session today. No surprise there though - her first modeling experience for me was during her parent's maternity session a few months ago - check it out here !

Here are a few sneak peeks!

Is that a half smile I see?

uh oh...get that camera out of my face already!

correction - it was over 80 pounds of apples...

2008-10-21T17:56:00.005-04:00

I believe. Amazingly...between Sam's mom, Sam and myself we ended up bringing home over 80 pounds of apples. I said below it was 15....that was just one of my bags. Hmmm.

So I'm now attempting to find recipes that include apples and finding people to eat them. In addition I brought home 5 (yes - 5) pumpkins. I've made apple pie, apple crisp, pumpkin butter, pumpkin puree and pumpkin seeds so far...and I have a stack full of new recipes (bars, muffins, breads) to try when I eat my way through what I have. Not necessarily a good thing...

Here are some of my results..and you'll note that they progressively get less 'whole':

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Recipe:
scoop out seeds from pumpkin, rinse, spread on baking sheet and let dry for several hours(or overnight). Toss on baking sheet with a spalsh of olive oil and lots of salt. Roast in 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted, being careful not to burn. I typically shake the baking sheet slightly 1/2 way through to mix up the seeds. Mmm....

Carmel Apple Pie

Recipe courtesy of
www.allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch
double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples -
peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Apple Crisp

Basically for this I had extra apple pie filling from above but no more crust...so I put the leftover apple pie filling in a dish and topped with the crisp topping. For the topping I threw in a Cuisinart: 1/4 cup pecans, 3 tablespoons cold butter, 4 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, pinch of salt, and then a splash of nutmeg and cinnamon. Baked at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, then increase temp to 400 and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Sorry Dave really liked this one.... I'm making another one of these on Thursday so hopefully I can grab a shot before it is devoured.

good friends and fall

2008-10-19T16:44:00.004-04:00

This weekend I spent time with lots of good friends - some I havnt seen in a while, others I see all the time. All have been so supportive and kind to our family and I am so grateful to have them as friends.

Sam and Brett are two of those special people that have such big warm hearts. They also have an adorable son who graces several posts on my blog and usually lets us hold him without crying. :) We spent a great morning at the apple orchard picking over 10 pounds of apples (I think it's 10...hoping it wasnt more than 15...geez) and lots of pie pumpkins. They have a great family and it was really good to see them all and spend some time outside.

Here are some sneak peeks from the day!

He is really excited about his lobster halloween costume. :)

We'll have a candle lit in Indy

2008-10-15T17:50:00.005-04:00

Today - October 15th - is National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss. In honor of this day people light a candle at 7:00pm so that around the world in different time zones it will create a 'wave' of light.

I think this is a beautiful way to honor Elise and all the other babies who have passed away.

You can find more info about it at the main website:
October 15th

life is precious

2008-10-13T14:22:00.013-04:00

And unexpected. And short. And happy and sad. In the time span of basically one week we experienced the highest of highs as our first family baby - our niece - was born, the lowest of lows as we watched her get sick and then absolute heart break as she passed away. We drove over 2500 miles, cried, thought, begged for a miracle, smiled, laughed, hugged, and cried some more. Elise only lived a short while but her life has forever changed ours, and I believe the world is a better place for that she was in it.

We love you Elise, and we love your mama and daddy very much too.

Elise Nora Detterline Memorial Fund

Benefiting: Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Neonatal Research

Make checks payable to: Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Please include a note that states you want your gift to benefit neonatal research in memory of Elise Nora Detterline

Mail to: Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
1 Charles Center
100 N. Charles St, Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21201

Donate online at:
1. www.hopkinschildrens.org
2. Click on the Support Us link on the left side of the page
3. Click on the “ Help Hopkins Children’s” link in the middle of
the page
4. Complete Donor information
5. In the About my Gift section: Designate your gift to “Neonatal
Intensive Care” and specify in the other designation section
type “Neonatal Research”
6. In the Giving in Honor or Memory of section, designate your
gift in memory of Elise Nora Detterline

Elise Nora - my beautiful new niece

2008-10-06T19:02:00.002-04:00

She's the most beautiful girl in the whole world. For everyone praying for her - here's a few photos to put a name to a face. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers - if love could make her better she'd be superwoman.

Another beautiful family!

2008-10-02T22:28:00.002-04:00

I've lucked out recently with having such adorable babies and gorgeous parents! Tonight I was able to spend some time with another great family - a friend from my photography class and her great husband and big brown eyed baby boy. Here are some of their shots - hopefully they'll be able to find the perfect one for their Christmas cards! :)

Sweet Sweet Baby

2008-09-28T15:02:00.005-04:00

This little beauty was such a happy and fun little girl! Baby M is the beautiful daughter of two very loving parents - it was so fun to see them all together. Her big blue eyes lit up whenever her dad would sing to her, and she loved giving her mom kisses. She was sooooo cute!!! Oh yeah and she had an awesome nursery...check it out below!

Here are the sneak pics of this beautiful family!

Gorgeous and fun family

2008-09-27T11:07:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week I photographed the coolest and most fun (not to mention GORGEOUS!) family!! The mom had so many cool ideas and suggested the whole family jump in the water and go crazy! So fun! The kids were totally loving the camera too - which was great because they were all so beautiful! You can tell this family really loves eachother and have so much fun together. Check out some of the sneak peeks from the evening!

Fantastic wedding experience!

2008-09-24T22:17:00.005-04:00

This past Sunday I shadowed the incredibly talented Danny Iskandar of Danny Iskandar Photography at a wedding here in Indy. The wedding was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous and the weather was perfect...it was a great night. Danny was so awesome to let me tag along, and I learned a TON about photography in general, not to mention wedding photojournalism. Definitely take a moment to check out his site - he is not only a great person who is so generous with his time but is also one of my favorite photographers. It was so great to bounce ideas off of him and watch one of the world's best photographers in action. Absolutely a priceless experience.

Here are some of my shots from the day - I had my camera down by my side for much of the day trying to learn from Danny, but there were a couple shots I grabbed so here you go!

Thank you again Danny!!!!!

Just one of Dave for the night

2008-09-23T19:51:00.000-04:00

One year olds are awesome!

2008-09-20T16:12:00.012-04:00

Wow - what can I say besides this little girl stole my heart!! Little S is a bit over one year and she is adorable! Her parents were awesome too and I knew I had found a great family when her mom broke out a tutu!! My kind of people! :) We had a great time walking all over the place this morning and baby S was soooooo good and happy! I had such a blast taking her photos.

Without further ado - here are some sneak peeks of this beautiful family!

this one just melts my heart. This was the last photo of the session when she was all done and went running for her daddy. So sweet!!

more outside pics

2008-09-17T20:41:00.004-04:00

Fall is coming

2008-09-17T20:41:00.003-04:00

you can taste it....oh wait that's the pumpkin ice cream I devoured earlier tonight. Well the air seems fall-ish as well.

Pretty flowers on our walk tonight:

whirlwind!

2008-09-14T21:32:00.002-04:00

This past week has been so busy! I flew out of town on Wednesday to Baltimore to fulfill bridesmaid duties (and loved every minute of it) for my friend Marilyn, saw friends and family, finalized my photography packaging and specials and almost booked the rest of September! I flew back into Indy tonight and my thoughts are with Dave's grandma and all the others evacuated due to flooding/weather issues. Stay dry and safe!

I hardly touched my P&S camera this week b/c I was just enjoying the moments...but there is this one photo of Dave and I in the brand new Colts stadium for their first ever game there that I wanted to share. So cool!

Some more pics from South Haven

2008-09-07T17:48:00.003-04:00

I wanted to add a few more to show how beautiful all the members of the family are - seriously so gorgeous!

Twins!!

This is why I love big families - love the connections here!

We got a bit silly towards the end

And then for good measure - another pretty sunset photo from the end of the day

South Haven!

2008-08-24T23:10:00.003-04:00

I got to meet Sam and Brett's fantastic family this weekend - they have the most gorgeous babies and little girls and they all are so friendly, welcoming and fun! South Haven is gorgeous too - just check out the amazing sunset that I spotted on my way out! We dodged thunder, pouring rain and still had a blast. Hope you enjoy these sneak pics!

Happy 30th Anniversary to the Juliens!

My website is live!!

2008-08-20T09:35:00.004-04:00

Shey Marin Photography has an official site! As I continue to work on my porfolio I created a website to help streamline the whole process. I'm in the very beginning stages of it all and am trying to keep one foot in front of the other as I head down this path. This is so exciting for me - and I'm blessed to have such great support from everyone.

So feel free to check out my new site!

Shey Marin Photography

and here's a little preview:

some pics from a walk tonight

2008-08-18T21:13:00.001-04:00

The beginning of the end of summer has gotten me sort of sad. I'll miss going for walks with Dave every night and checking out all the fun animals and plants around our place. Here are a quick couple from tonight:

Back from Iowa!

2008-08-17T19:29:00.004-04:00

We had a blast at our good friends' wedding this weekend. The bride was so beautiful, the groom had a blast, and the wedding was at the bride's beautiful family farm. I think my favorite part (besides the incredible food) was their first dance to the song off of Juno. So cute!!

I brought my point and shoot camera and passed it off to several friends throughout the night while I enjoyed the bar...so these are some snapshots of the event..I purposely didnt proof most of these b/c I like to keep my fun pics fun! :)

The gorgeous bride walking down the aisle:

They rented 4 cars from different decades to take them away from the church (so cool!)

Gorgeous set up outside their tent:

Dave was a lector for the ceremony so I had to take one of him in his bout:

I mean seriously could she be any prettier?

I was freezing towards the end of the night so I am wearing Dave's jacket and my wrap as a scarf(genius!)

some more teaser pics of Coop!

2008-08-13T23:01:00.003-04:00

I wanted to get these up before I leave for a wedding in Iowa this weekend. Enjoy - I love these!!

Cooper turned 4 months!

2008-08-10T22:22:00.005-04:00

He is getting cuter every day. I'm sure I'll be posting a few more from this session over the next few days, but just one cute one for now:

Ahhh the sunsets in Maui

2008-08-02T12:44:00.000-04:00

I miss them...

love this one

2008-07-31T20:37:00.001-04:00

My friend's shower is this weekend and I just finished up with her gift - and I keep coming back to this photo...I just love it.

Looking up

2008-07-29T22:14:00.002-04:00

This was on the road to Hana trip - at one point I looked up and thought it was so pretty.

one from the black sand beach we visited

2008-07-25T18:32:00.000-04:00

Aloha!

2008-07-23T21:20:00.002-04:00

Just got home from our vacation in Hawaii! We spent 6 nights in Maui and 2 nights in Lanai - made for a fantastic vacation. Some highlights were swimming with dolphins in the wild, snorkeling and diving with sea turtles, driving the road to hana, and being on the same airplane as Sawyer from Lost. Obvs.

It was a great trip and I feel refreshed and relaxed, even though I'm still feeling the jet lag a bit.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the week.

Dave and I before dinner at Mama's Fish House

The condo we stayed at in Maui, Mahina Surf

Cool tree on the Road To Hana

Waterfalls on the Road To Hana

Sunset at the Plantation Golf Course, before dinner

Another sunset picture at Plantation House during dinner

Since we're on the subject of sunsets, the sunset at our condo

First cocktail (of many) on Lanai - the Mango Ginger Mojito...mmm

Overlooking the flowers at the Four Seasons in Lanai

If you want to see the rest of the pics you can check them out here:
Hawaii Pics

Baby is coming soon!

2008-07-11T22:17:00.003-04:00

Our good friends Chris and Kristen are expecting a baby girl in August so I got in some maternity photo practice. They were great models and Kristen is such a cute mama to be! Here are a few pics I've proofed before our trip:

End of my photo class

2008-07-08T20:37:00.006-04:00

We ended by taking self portraits. It's weird smiling at a camera on a tripod. We had to create our own lighting and meter/set up the shot. The first one was an accident actually, but I ended up liking it. Then the second one was one of my on purpose - self portraits. The only bummer was I ended up accidentally taking off one of my lenses without turning the camera off and I got a big dust particle on my sensor. Boo.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-06T22:31:00.005-04:00

Spent a great weekend with family in Chicago. Watched the White Sox lose, followed by a fireworks show at US Cellular (Comiskey) Park, plus lots and lots of grilling out. Here's one pic for now - shooting fireworks from hundreds of feet away, over a lit stadium, without a tripod is tough stuff.

new look - and random examples of awkwardness

2008-07-03T20:41:00.006-04:00

So I've wanted bigger pictures for a while, but was too lazy to go back through all my old pics and re-upload bigger sizes and change all the code. Then I realized I could just have an awkward blog for a few weeks and mix small and big pics...and ya know, I'm ok with that. :)

I was also told in photo class last week that technically you should keep BOTH eyes open while taking photos. Well whaddyaknow. Perhaps my teacher (who resembles a mixture of Old McDonald and Kevin from the Office) is misinformed, but regardless...I thought it best to switch some things up...one being my blog's header name. So going forward I'm just using my name, hence the S and M initials. Oh and then I added a star b/c I like them, and b/c mine reminds me of a cookie. mmmmm. Ok that's not entirely true...the star is a symbol I've held close to my heart since I lived in Australia. And the cookie thing doesnt hurt.

I havnt decided to change the blog's URL b/c again, I'm lazy and need to take one step at a time here.

So moving forward = New, improved, BIG!

Photo class work

2008-07-02T18:25:00.006-04:00

Took this portrait at photo class - would you believe the whole room was dark and this was done with just a flash on a light stick? Pretty groovy.

Rocky's visit

2008-07-02T07:22:00.003-04:00

Rocky came to visit last weekend - fun times, but he missed his mom and dad...can ya tell!?

I've been tagged :)

2008-07-01T13:56:00.005-04:00

By my awesome friend Daf So of course I'll type this out on my lunch break...need something to distract me for a minute.

1. What did you do 10 years ago?
1998...I was a junior in high school. So that means I was applying to colleges/taking the SATs/etc right? I guess? My only memories of high school were of soccer and boys. :)

2. Five items on your to-do list today:
- go to the gym
- drink 4 more glasses of water
- call my best friend Karen and talk to her about her trip to South America
- change our reservation at the Four Seasons to include breakfast buffet(obviously!)
- watch our newest netflix movie with Dave

3. Snacks that you enjoy
- yogurt
- fruit
- fig newmans
- chips and salsa and guacamole
- fruit snacks

4. What would you do if you were a billionaire?
buy the Nikon D3 and every imaginable camera accessory I can find, buy a house in Bora Bora, buy a boat to sail around the world, build a cat farm...you know the usual stuff. :)

5. Places that you would live:
Bora Bora
DC area
Noosa, Australia

6. Bloggers to whom you are passing the challenge:
- Tina's Blog
- Kristi's Blog
- Cat's Blog
- Lindz' Blog
- Christina's Blog

Cooper at 2 months

2008-06-22T12:05:00.007-04:00

Cooper's smiling now! He is such a cutie - and that hair!! His parents are also pretty great too. :) Here are some (slightly late) shots to share.

couple storyboards I made using templates from ILP:

some old photos revisited

2008-06-14T17:21:00.004-04:00

I was proofing some old Peru mountain pics for something else and just thought I'd post them here too. These were all taken on the Inca Trail:

This is at the top of Dead Woman's Pass on day 2.

This was another view of the same thing.

This is looking down at the Sun Gate onto Machu Picchu at sunrise.

randomness

2008-06-10T22:17:00.007-04:00

I really want to post some pics from Cooper's 2 month session I did this past weekend but I had my photography class all night Monday, and tonight I got home from work too late....so instead I'll post a bunch of random pics from the past month! Sam/Brett they'll be here soon! :)

Mellow and Minnie this weekend, during the few hours they decided to stay awake.

Here's a shot from a few weekends ago when the Indy crew came out to celebrate my birthday. We started at a new tapas restaurant downtown and ended at a cool little English pub on mass ave. This was taken at the tail end of the night...can you tell? :)

And then onto the randomness...I was bored at work one day and decided to take a few pics of my life at the office. Thrilling I know.

My coworker Mark. I wish Dwight Schrute sat next to me instead.

hiking the monon trail

2008-06-01T13:57:00.004-04:00

Dave and I hiked a 5 mile trail today and I brought the camera along to see if I could get any nature shots. For those of you who live in Indy and know the monon trail well - you'll realize why trying to find nature shots in the midst of a city is not an easy task. Regardless, we didnt feel like driving to Brown County to do a real hike...so here ya go.
:)

Memorial Day in DC

2008-05-27T21:55:00.005-04:00

Had a great time visiting friends, family and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Going home always makes me happy - it's so nice to get away. Here are some of the shots from the weekend:

Yes those are my parents. Yes that's my mom in the tractor bucket. Explains a lot huh? ;)

Another one of Dave

2008-05-15T20:48:00.001-04:00

I promise I'll take new pics soon...we've just had craptastic weather recently so my opportunities to shoot outdoors has been limited. Well the weather and the fact time is at a minimum since I've found myself in the midst of another hot market (NBA and NHL playoffs) and work is destroying my soul. I love my job. I love my job. I love my job...

I really am digging this one of Dave.

Working on silhouettes

2008-05-12T20:47:00.002-04:00

resulted in an interesting - and simultaneously scary - image of Dave. Sorry dear, but you look like a zombie about to eat someone here. Love ya!

Inspiration

2008-05-07T18:24:00.003-04:00

Indiana didnt fare as well as I had hoped, but in the end my man Obama is still in the lead. Want to share a video that really inspired me a few months ago when I first saw it...I dont typically enjoy watching celebs stump for political candidates but I guess I'll let it slide this once.

Making history

2008-05-06T18:31:00.000-04:00

Cant wait to see what the results bring in.

Everything's bigger in Texas...

2008-05-05T21:55:00.004-04:00

including hangovers, sunburns and airport delays. Had a FANTASTIC time with the girls. I miss you guys already. Here are some shots:

Dave loves me...

2008-04-27T21:27:00.003-04:00

enough to agree to be my model as I worked on shutter speed, but not enough to do it for more than 10 minutes. Not sure I can ask for much more. Here are some of my shots:

Introducing Cooper Dean!

2008-04-19T21:53:00.003-04:00

Today I took pics for my friends Sam & Brett and their new baby Cooper. They've been my models for the past month as I'm learning this whole camera thing. ;) I've chosen a few of my personal favorites to show - hope you enjoy!

2008-04-16T19:29:00.005-04:00

I heart Ree. She's the hilarious author of The Pioneer Woman website, and I have wasted hours upon hours of my life just perusing her blog. I first found her site b/c of photography...she takes the most gorgeous pics and is so helpful - giving out free actions and PP tips. But then, oh then...I found her cooking site. Admittedly, some of her food is not up my alley. Brisket, desserts with mt. dew, and cream of whatever arent mainstays in our kitchen. But some of her recipes - mainly the ones when she was a 'big city girl' feel right at home. I saw this salad and began drooling all over my keyboard. How fantastic looking is this - I mean seriously. And it's healthy and chocked full of veggies. Anyway - check out her site if you havnt yet...I promise for a second you'll want to pick up the farm life. :)

The Pioneer Woman's Recipe

My attempt:

Happy Birthday Cooper Dean!

2008-04-14T22:09:00.003-04:00

My friends Sam and Brett had their adorable baby Thursday - it's a boy! The sweetpea's name is Cooper Dean - LOVE IT! He is perfect and I'm so happy I was able to visit them in the hospital and snap a couple shots. Cant wait to take some pics of him when he gets to his new home! Congrats Sam and Brett! We love him already.

NYC

2008-04-12T12:33:00.004-04:00

I had a great time visiting NYC. Ate too much, drank too much, danced too long...another typical weekend with the Wake girls. :) Miss you all already! Congrats again Christine!

Some pics of the weekend:
Where the bus dropped me off at Grand Central.

This was before Heather bought a round of jager shots. Thanks.

It wasnt a good idea to 'finish up' all the alcohol on the table. Bleh.

How they fit so many people in such a small space - I'll never comprehend.

I feel like at some point we were angry with the DJ.

I could seriously work at The Office

2008-04-09T17:12:00.003-04:00

We've had some serious goose drama of late at the adidas offices. For about 3 weeks now some geese have decided to nest right in front of our front office doors. I've witnessed our GM defend himself with a putter, multiple coworkers get chased into their cars, and my boss's face was 'feathered' last night and he's sporting a gash on his cheek. This video was made today as two coworkers tried moving their car.

If only Dwight could work with us....he'd go hunting.

Baby J is coming soon!

2008-04-02T18:53:00.006-04:00

I finally finished proofing the shots from my good friends' Sam and Brett's maternity photos. I serve to you 'maternity photos' with a large side of sarcasm b/c I did this for fun so dont tell me I suck. ;) I am actually quite proud of how these turned out, when you take into consideration I've A) never done a 'photo shoot' before, B) one of my memory cards failed half way through the session and I thought I had lost all their pics(didnt - score!), and C) I am learning photoshop as I go. The lighting was a challenge, and for the first time I felt limited by not having a full frame camera. Anyhoo - I'd love to know what you think. I love them - I see where I have room for so much improvement, but I also had more fun doing this than I have ever had doing anything remotely 'work'ish.

powder in Utah

2008-03-24T20:41:00.006-04:00

I had to crop my glove out of this pic. I'm smooth like that.

My dad, sister, and the abominable snowman. Seriously - who takes a picture with all their cold gear up around their face?

Dave and I at the top of Deer Valley, desperately trying not to fall while maintaining strained and awkward standing positions.

I wouldnt make it as a paparazzi. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were in front of us in the lift line. I look like a stalker here...

Dave and I in downtown Park City. My hair lost the battle with static.

Pretty white trees.

Spring Break Here I Come!

2008-03-16T12:11:00.005-04:00

So we leave today for Park City, UT to go skiing with my dad and sister in Deer Valley. I still have to pack, have no idea if my ski boots still fit, and I still have a fridge full veggies that will spoil - I'm a bit unprepared. So excited though...havnt been skiing in years and I havnt seen my dad/sis since Christmas. It will be a good time - I'll post pics when I get home. Talk to yall next week, and Happy Easter!

I did want to post this one sneak peek of my good friends Sam and Brett who are expecting their baby in early April. I took some maternity photos for them and it was SO FUN. We had such a great time and while I still have so many to proof - I wanted to post this one for them in case the baby comes early before I am finished! :) I wasnt sure how much I'd like taking pics of real people(I'm accustomed to cats and landscapes) but it was awesome and a big part of me enjoyed it more. Fun times. Here you go Sam!! Cant wait to meet the little one!

brussel sprout salad with maple vinaigrette

2008-03-11T19:10:00.005-04:00

I first had a variation of this salad at our favorite local sushi restaurant (H20) and I played around at home until I came up with my version. It's pretty simple - you shave(either on a mandolin or like I did - with a sharp knife) raw brussel sprouts, julienned red radishes, green onion, and I added homemade roasted spanish peanuts and bacon. I drizzled this with my basic vinaigrette (recipe posted earlier this month) and instead of a pinch of sugar I added some maple syrup. Mmmm. Even dave who DESPISES brussel sprouts liked them raw in this dish. Score.

Rocky here for a visit

2008-03-08T18:12:00.005-05:00

I got some cuddle time in after arriving home on Friday evening.

Carolina On My Mind

2008-03-08T16:47:00.005-05:00

This past week I was on a business trip to Rich Square, NC. We were doing a physical inventory at one of our offsite printers, and stayed at a hotel in the bustling town of Roanoke Rapids. It turned out to be a productive week but I was very happy to leave the fried food and dusty warehouse. I was not so happy to come back to 29 degree weather and snow.

Before I left Mellow decided he wanted to come with me.

Minnie was cool staying behind.

Food...mmmm

2008-02-24T17:10:00.007-05:00

None of these recipes are that spectacular - just old standbys that I make often.

First is my basic spinach salad:
Toss together spinach, hard boiled eggs, tomato, cucumber, avocado, whatever you have.

Dressing is my homemade vinaigrette: whisk or blend to emulsify all ingredients except for oil. Stream that in slowly until combined.
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic minced fine
1/4 tsp sugar(or honey)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup favorite vinegar(I usually use red wine, but can sub balsamic or other)
1/3 cup olive oil

Pasta and Peas(my mom used to make this for me all the time when I was a skinny malnourished 13 year old...now I have to eat this sparingly b/c of the cream):
Boil pasta. Heat cream. Add frozen peas. Done.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies.
Basically I make the chicken filling (I use peas, carrots, celery and onion) and then top with premade pie shells. I know I'm lazy.

how cute is he

2008-02-17T17:11:00.002-05:00

ok I know this is my second post of the day - but I'm an obsessive cat lady. No shocker there.

Congrats!!!

2008-02-17T16:09:00.003-05:00

Lots of congrats are in order - in the past 2 weeks we've learned of 3 pregnancies and 2 engagements of our friends and family!!!

You all know who you are(I dont want to spill the beans in case not everyone has been notified just yet) - we're so happy for all of you and are praying for a happy and healthy 9 months. For the engagements - I'm so excited!!!! Congrats to you all - we love you!

I'm not dead, it's just hot market time.

2008-01-29T21:16:00.000-05:00

I've been MIA lately with friends, family - even Dave doesnt see me some days. Such is life during the month of January. We're all counting down the days until this is done and over with:

Working for adidas gives me a jaded look at who to route for...I usually go for whatever market is larger so our order volume goes up. Really sportsmanlike. This year I thought I'd base my decision on the QB. Who do you think I'm routing for?...

modern day Zeus?

Goofy younger-not-as-talented Manning brother?

and just for good measure:

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

To ring in 2008 Dave and I took a road trip south to an adorable historic bed and breakfast in Batesville, IN called Stonebridge Inn & Spa

This place was perfect - gorgeous home with fireplaces in every room, amazingly soft king bed, fabulous spa tub, etc. We'll definitely be back!

Here's a pic of our room - the Hillcrest Terrace:

Costa Rica!

2007-12-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Costa Rica - a very good thing.

view from our infinity pool

rest of our villa

Dave and I on the canopy tour

Pretty sunset

Another gorgeous sunset

Dave and I drinking (him a fruity mango daiquiri and me a local beer) at a restaurant in Playa Flamingo

Some more I just got from Lyssa:

being dramatic after an exhausting diving day

fun with flour(+ butter, sugar, chocolate, etc)

2007-12-20T05:49:00.000-05:00

Holiday baking time has arrived. I tried 4 new recipes and all are really great. Dave's favorite were the peanut butter cookies, my boss loved the chocolate peppermint, and mine may have been the ginger. Pics and recipes all below!

Cranberry-Walnut Swirls

Originally From Southern Living
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened (I use butter)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup ground walnuts (I used pecans)
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Preparation
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt, beating until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Combine cranberries, walnuts, and orange rind.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 10-inch square. Sprinkle with cranberry mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border on 2 opposite sides.
Roll up dough, jellyroll fashion, beginning at a bordered side. Cover and freeze 8 hours. (I just stored in fridge overnight)
Cut roll into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake on top oven rack at 375° for 14 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Freeze up to 1 month, if desired.
Yield = Makes 3 dozen

Ginger, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Peppermint Cookies: all 3 recipes found on Baking Blonde's blog(which is great!)

Ginger Cookies: from Baking Blonde
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened (I used butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Cookies: on Baking Blonde
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups natural creamy peanut butter, (make sure to stir it to combine the oil and solid mixture)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature (NOT too soft)
2 eggs
2 TBS light Karo corn syrup
1 TBS vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl blend together the peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and butter on low speed until JUST combined, making sure not to over mix. With the mixer turned off, add the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla extract and beat on low until JUST combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Stop mixer before the flour is completely incorporated to prevent over mixing and finish by hand.The dough should a little sticky.

Using the Pampered Chef Medium size scoop, shape the cookie dough into balls Place formed dough balls on parchment lined cookie sheets. With the tines of fork dipped in sugar, lightly press and flatten each ball making a crisscross pattern.

Bake cookies 9-11 minutes until they are JUST SET and start to show a tiny amount of light brown color on the edges. Cool the cookies in the pan for a minute. Then, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies: on Baking Blonde
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup butter flavor Crisco (I just used all butter)
3/4 cups + 2 TBS sugar
1 egg, room temp
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (not oil)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Ghiradelli cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup White chocolate chips
1/2 cup Andes Peppermint chips (the white and red ones) (NOT the regular green/chocolate Ande's mints!!)
Sugar (for rolling dough balls)

Preheat oven to 350.Line baking sheet with Parchement paper.
In medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, soda, baking powder and salt. Set asideCream the butter and Crisco. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Add egg and peppermint extract, beat until well combined.

Fold in with a spatula the flour/cocoa mixture. Mix with a blender 10 seconds to combine. Fold in the white chocolate chips and Andes chips. Using a medium cookie scoop form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each dough ball in a cup of sugar to lightly coat. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 9-10 minutes or until edges are firm and the center appears slighlty soft, don't overbake. Cool on baking sheet 3-5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

the downsides to not declawing

2007-12-19T19:52:00.001-05:00

bastard.

he looks so cute but has a mean streak when you try to cut his nails.

Decorating fun

2007-12-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

Decorating begins. Note the stockings over the fireplace I made by hand a few years ago for our first Christmas together. Oh yeah baby - move over Martha.

Dave places the star where the hacked off tree stub resides.

Finished product - that white blob under the tree is Mellow.

Minnie under the tree

Dave's favorite fire hazard. His late grandmother's homemade Christmas tree with electric wiring from the 50's. Scary.

Oh Christmas Tree

2007-12-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

Dave and I took our annual visit to Nelson's Christmas Tree Farm - the only one in Indiana that I could find which grows cut-your-own Fraser Firs. It's such a cute little farm with hot chocolate and even Santa came to visit. It was freeeeeeezing cold but we found a great tree.

We chopped off the top b/c it was a bit awkward...but then I felt bad and regretted it.

The finished product

Happy Birthday Dave

2007-11-04T16:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend marked Dave's 28th birthday celebration extravaganza. Friday I picked up a German chocolate cake from a local German bakery in town that is fabled to have the best cakes in Indy. I wholeheartedly now agree. Mmm. My talents lie in picking out cool bakeries, not cutting the actual cake:

We treated ourselves to an awesome seafood dinner at Oceanaire and then met friends for drinks at the Moondog. Fun night!

Saturday his family came down to go out to lunch - where I was lucky enough to see the hottttttt Rob Lowe eating in the same restaurant. Did I mention he is hot? I didnt want to be a scary stalker and take his picture with my camera phone, so I decided to text my friends the fab find news instead.

Sunday is dedicated to football and food - and specifically today is Colts vs. Pats....good vs. evil....goofy QB vs. smokin hot QB. I also made homemade chicken noodle soup and it was sooooooo good. I roasted the chicken breasts first then shredded them to create the meat.

Recipe courtesy of Elly Says Opa (love her blog):
Chicken Noodle Soup

I heart The Office

2007-10-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

Two fun things I found this weekend:

1. Dunder Mifflin Rabies Race For The Cure t-shirt . Everytime I see this I crack up.

2. A real Tripadvisor post for the Schrute Beet Farm. Hilarious.

halloween

2007-10-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

I love halloween...I was one of those kids who dressed up and went trick or treating way past the point where it was socially akward. So I busted out my knife and went to work on our pumpkin, made roasted pumpkin seeds and spiced pumpkin cupcakes and I was back in my groove. My favorite adult Halloween treat is pumpkin beer. Mmmmm. Yum.
Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes -
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/prod/R100662.jsp
**I initially saw this recipe in Annie's Eats blog(linked in favorites to the right). I love her blog! I cut the oil in half and added 1/2 cup of all natural applesauce to lighten these a bit. Turned out great! **

Dave wanted to put braces on my pumpkin's teeth. No seriously, he tried.

And just for kicks - a hurried sunset pic I snapped outside our place:

Pumpkins and Apple Cider

2007-10-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

Saturday Dave and I drove up to our favorite Indiana orchard to get our fill of pumpkins and apples. I think Dave mainly goes for the hot apple cider they make fresh on the farm and I like to see the trees changing colors. We got a huge pumpkin that I cant wait to dig into to make roasted pumpkin seeds. Yum!