Chocolate Pizza!!!

This morning I got to go to the grocery store alone. It was amazing! I didn't feel rushed or stressed. I was able just to shop off my list at my own pace without picking children off the floor or asking them to stop touching items. While there I got a craving for Decadent Chocolate Dessert Pizza so I added the ingredients to my grocery list. During nap time I quickly whipped up the dessert.

all the ingredients laid out on my stone

Shape cookie dough into a ball and roll out onto stone

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees

 

  Take 1/3 c chocolate morsels

Melt in the microwave and stir in 8 oz cream cheese

 

 Spread over cooled cookie

 

 Slice strawberries and bananas

 

 Place on top of chocolate

 

 

 Enjoy!!!

Tuesday's with Nanny

On Tuesday's now, since Madeleine has started preschool Emilia and I have had lunch at Nanny's house. This afternoon while I was washing dishes I heard Emilia and Nanny playing together in the living room. I knew I had to get it on video. My girls are so blessed to have their almost 97 year old great-grandma around!
 

Scrub-a-dub-dub!

 I've been addicted to Pintrest for a while now and I've committed to not just pinning but actually following through with what I pin. For me the easiest things to do have been the cleaning tips. Tonight after dinner I washed the dishes, wiped down the counter tops, scrubbed the stove top and then became motivated to do more. So I logged into Pintrest and pulled up a page I had pinned earlier. 

Cleaning a Glass Stove Top

The Before Pictures

(I already washed them off with Formula 409)

 Fill a bowl with hot soapy water and soak cloth

 Sprinkle baking soda over stove top

Wring out wet towels and lay on top of baking soda for 15 minutes

 Wearing gloves scrub stove top, dry and windex

 Dirty water

Now I have to admit that after I finished scrubbing I was very skeptical. It really did not appear to me that the stove top was all that much cleaner. I did have to take a knife to some of the carbonized residue but over all the stove top is a LOT cleaner!!!

 

Changes

In 2011 I took 26 photo session. Of those photo sessions 16 of them were between the month of October and November. And all but 4 of those 16 were for Christmas cards/gifts.

For each photo session I take an average of 250 photos in about 45 mins to an hour. I then go through all the photos and crop or delete the image. I then go through the remaining images and and enhance an average of 40 images and some of them as many as 4x. As you can imagine the process is very time consuming. My best guess is that each session takes me about 8 hours to complete. Since being a mommy is my full time job I typically edit photos from 8:30pm until 11pm when my girls are in bed.

So all this is being said because in order to continue providing clients with a large variety of quality photos I am going to adjust some of my pricing and policies

1. With the exception of "birth" day and "newborn" photos all sessions will take place outdoors. (unless I decide to invest in a backdrop etc)

2. Payment (cash/check) is due at the session


3. There will be an additional $10 charge for non-newborn sessions scheduled during the months of October and November


4. NO sessions will be scheduled between November 20, 2012 and Jan 2, 2013, as well as from the day I give birth (due date 7/18/12) and through Aug 13, 2012


5. Prices are as follows:
Maternity- $50
Newborn( recommended before 2 weeks) - $50
Child/Children - $50 up to 2 kids, $10 for each additional child
Family - $65 per family unit, additional units $25 each
Senior - $50
Engagement - $50 (unless included with wedding package)
Wedding - $1300 (includes two shooters)
"birth" day - TBD




6. Save 20% on packages after two a year

7. No weddings Nov-Feb

8. I started offering my services so families who may not have been able to afford professional, quality photos could have them at a fair price. If at any time you can not afford my rate please do not hesitate to talk to me!


9. I often get asked about Mother's Day photos for the Sunday news. If you are interested please e-mail me. I am hoping to schedule some back to back mini-sessions at a low rate and then you would just be responsible for submitting them to the paper


           

Some of my favorite images from the year!

So I am beginning to look back at 2011 and evaluate what I have done as far as photography goes. I decided to put together some of my favorite images from the year.

(sadly I had 3 other images I want to add but blogger upload was not cooperating)


Thanks everyone for giving me the privilege of photographing those you love most!

The Magic of Falling Snow

Those who know me, know I am not a fan of winter or snow. I am a flip-flop and Bermuda shorts girl. I love the beach and all things summer. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard there was snow in the forecast for October. Madeleiene was so excited this morning when it started to snow, "Christmas!!" she proclaimed as she looked out our sliding doors. And then it started. The girl who like her mother didn't like being cold started to ask to go outside and build a snowman. Her excitement was so precious and I promised her that after she woke up from her nap we'd go outside. Secretly, I only wanted to go out for a few minutes and attempt to get a Christmas card photo of the girls. 

In the meantime to keep her focused on something other than the pending fun outside I decided to have her help me make pumpkin bread. She was trilled. Madeleine LOVES helping me bake!!

So while Eric laid on the floor (this is typically how he spends at least half his day and the reason he won't let me get HW floors) the girls and I baked bread

 

Madeleine getting the butter out of the wrapper

Emilia entertained with the empty butter box

 Adding eggs

 The dry ingredients

Emilia after her nap enjoying some pumpkin bread and milk

So after the bread was in the oven the girls took their nap while I edited pictures and got to smell the house filling up with the smell of baking pumpkin bread. Madeleine woke up first and cuddled with me before asking to read her new book from her preschool library. Then Emilia woke up and I gave both girls some pumpkin bread. It didn't take Madeleine long to remember that I promised we'd go outside after nap. So after finishing their snack I bundled the girls up and out we went. Madeleine loved that her boots made footprints in the snow and Emilia was all smiles even after falling in the snow and getting wet several times. Both girls thought it was hilarious when I taught them how to catch snow flakes in their mouths. We stayed out for quite some time just walking up and down the snow covered community path beside our home, making footprints and catching snowflakes. Maybe next time we'll attempt a snowman. There was something magical about being outside with the girls today. I can honestly say I loved watching the snowflakes fall from the sky. 

random scattered thoughts

Sometimes you hear what you know in your heart is true but it still stabs you in the heart like a knife.

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I have been doing a lot of thinking the past few days. Like not just every day thinking but deep thinking. Today I was at an orientation and they showed a video that asked simply, "What are you passionate about?" As I read the question, it was a video you had to read, I felt all the emotions just come to the surface. I knew the answer and it had NOTHING to do with where I was.

On Sunday, I caught the last few minutes for 60 minutes and they were talking about how the i-pad is giving a voice to autistic children/adults who have never been able to communicate before. I watched as the children were able to express themselves and I cried!

I am passionate about those kids! I am passionate about my inner city kids!

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For the past two years I have gone to NYC at Christmas time. Its become my new tradition. I love Christmas and I love NYC so it only makes sense. This year I had decided I wouldn't go but the past few days, after I broke out the Christmas music, I have started to question that decision. I may have to revisit it. 

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Sometimes I wonder how some people in live such a fictional life. Its sad when I know the truth about their life more than them, or at least I think I do. Then truth is spoken into your own life. And its something so real that you recognize it as truth but at the same time its something you've thought and re-thought a million times. 

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I had one of my favorite photo shoots the other week. I can't say it was my favorite because the pictures are so much better than any other I've taken but every picture I have enhanced has made me smile. I shouldn't be surprised that a good person like him ended up with such a great family and well behaved kids. Which then leads me to my next thoughts about where my youth went? Like I feel like a chunk of it is a blur.