Food for Thought

I was fortunate enough to have a stunning dinner last weekend. Food so beautifully presented and prepared with love...I had to photograph it. The colors are so gorgeous! This was a delicious crab dip...mmmm..it was *so* tasty that I could have just eaten it with a spoon!

A perfectly cooked turkey! Including all kinds of beautiful vegetables and herbs.

These Brussel sprouts are so perfect that even the anti-brussel sprout kids will want to try them.

And last but certainly the BEST part of the meal, desert. My personal favorite...bread pudding. And let me tell you this was the most fabulous I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Thanks Chef for preparing such a wonderful feast.

xoxo

Time off

Just a quick hello dear friends. I have been taking some time off for reflection, fun, mischief, and much needed selfishness. I think sometimes when we concentrate most of our lives on taking care of everyone around us, we lose the ability to see who we are. Take some time off for you. Go have fun. Check out some fun I had.......

It is my first tattoo. It is of 3 of my favorite vintage buttons from my collection. I have had all 3 for a very long time. My tattoo was done by Matt, who I have known since he was about 13. I always knew if I was going to get a tattoo I would want him to be the one to do it. I love it :)

Be well friends

xoxo

Asbury Park Love

This past Saturday I spent the evening in Asbury Park with Michele. I have always loved it there. My association with Asbury is not the same as most New Jerseans, or probably most Bruce fans. I can remember be a young girl and my mom taking me shopping and out to lunch in one of the department stores on Cookman Ave. I also remember taking swimming lessons at the Y. When I was in my twenties, it became the place for those of us who were into the alternative music scene. I saw countless big name bands at the Fast Lane with Michele. Michele who has always been the shutterbug. I never understood it until I started blogging and opened the Etsy shop. Once I began to learn more about taking the photos, got a little better at it, I must confess to falling in love with it. And since I got the small camera, well I love this new camera and I take it with me all the time. I had so much fun just taking random shots. I wanted to try and show how far Asbury has come. Quite a few years ago, the lanes closed, really all that was left was the Stone Pony, and I don't think too many people ventured into AP. It wasn't the safest place to be, and despite many efforts to build, there was always failure. I did keep hearing about a resurgence and really didn't believe it until Michele and I went to Roller Derby at Convention Hall. To my amazement there were people everywhere. All kinds of people, but what was evident was that they were in a neighbourhood that I would not have expected them to be in. There seems to be something for everyone in AP now. The main street is lined with high end boutiques, cozy little cafes and galleries. So crowded there was no place to park. Michele and I are still drawn to the hip, alternative crowd. No better place to be than the Asbury Lanes. We went for Burlesque-Apades, which was disappointing. Big crowd, but the show was pricey, short and not as good as what we have seen in the past. A night out with Michele is always fun and adventurous!

The Thing About Being a Girl

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

-Anais Nin

This weekend I spent Sunday afternoon having some awesome, girly fun with one of my oldest and dearst friends Michele. We met in the 7th grade. Our initial meeting was one that, well was not really the way that most long lasting friendships begin. Someone we both knew (I do not even remember who the person was) asked her to "beat me up" (ahhh grade school~so much fun!). And thus began a friendship that has lasted more than 27 years. I remember waking up at the crack of dawn at her parents house to watch Princess Di walk doen the aisle to meet her Prince. Watching the first video on MTV in her parents living room. Dancing in the Mosh Pitt at The Parrot. Going out to see a band every weekend at the Fast lane. Making Tye Dye shirts in her kitchen. Although the paths of our lives have sometimes led in different directions, we have, always kept the bond of our friendship. So, to add to all the fun memories we already have, we did a photo shoot for Happiknits. Michele is the perfect model for my creations! She picked out the spot ~ she is an awesome professional photographer! She will be doing all the photoshopping for these photos! Thanks Michele, you are the best!!

Change of Scene

Sometimes you need a change of scenery. I usually take my pictures in the same spot at the same time of day. But yesterday I tried to change that. I tried to take my pictures in the am before work. In my usual spot. They came out way too dark. So, this forced me to look around the house. Where else could I take a pic?

Tip No. 1: try photographing in lots of different spots inside and out. So, I tried by the front door first and it seemed to put a bit of shade onto the shrug. Pretty but I wasn't sure about it. This my friends is an issue when you're taking pics. I never trust what I am seeing on the camera screen. It might look good there but once it is on the computer it is a different story.

Tip No.2: take lots and lots of pictures. Different angles, different spots, different settings. Next I tried the dining room. I figured it's a romantic theme, what better setting than a flowery room. ~ A little side note here. This room is one of the very few rooms left in my house that was decorated by the previous owner. It seems to suit the room. Please note that almost every room in this house was pink when we moved in. Nearly drove Mr. S crazy at the sight of all the pink. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with pink. But parlor, bedroom, dining room, kitchen?!? It's enough to sterilize any man. I love the way the picture came out. The back round is a bit busy but it's soft colors so I think it's ok. What do you think? Do you like the first one or the second one? To see which one I decide to use check out the Queen of the Forest shrug here.