Tazo Passion Tea

I love this tea! I've loved it for years. I love it hot, I love it cold. I absolutely love it with sugar and I definitely don't like it with honey. Yum Yum Getcha Sum.

Giada's Lemon Ricotta Muffins

I made these muffins yesterday with a recipe off the Food Network from the fabulously engaging Giada De Laurentiis. These are her lemon ricotta muffins with--you guessed it--fresh lemon and ricotta cheese. The dough was so thick and gooey I thought the end result would be closer to a scone, but they turned out super moist and absolutely fluffy. Amazing. Everyone loved them! Giada not only has a winning smile, she has winning recipes as well.

And check out that gorgeous blue plate. Aren't they fabulous?! My sweet husband bought a set of four square salad plates. He knew I'd like them. He has great taste and a great eye for color.
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And then a shot of some moody muffins before they got all pretty and colorful on the set.

Photographer Andy Batt

Andy Batt, Therese Gietler, Melinda Holland (Good to see you again. Those were sweet outfits, by the way.)

From opening night of photographer Andy Batt's Portraits of the World Famous March Fourth Marching Band. The exhibit includes 70 black & white, 17" x 22" prints of the March Fourth Marching Band of whom some of the portraits can be seen behind us in the photo above.

In the same way that I love people watching, I love looking at a series of portraits. Photography creates a portal into human life and it was a privilege to see how each individual chose to interact with the camera and photographer. The lighting and dark background added unity to the show yet each portrait was extremely engaging and unique.

The exhibit is up at Nemo Design in Portland, OR until April 28, 2008. Go see it. The work is truly captivating. If you like Richard Avedon's portraits, you'll like this exhibit.

Oh. And buy some of Andy Batt's work. For a slideshow of the exhibit and to buy 2 or 3 or 70 of the prints, go here.

For the rest of his portfolio, go to his website: www.andybatt.com

Sweet stuff. All hail the Battster.

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Oh, and here's a video from the folks at Nemo Design detailing Andy's show. Thanks to Therese for hooking me up with the link.

Lifeguard Stand on the Oregon Coast

A blustery day on the Oregon Coast. Lots of wind and sideways rain. This shot reminds me of my photo hero's work, Joel Meyerowitz. Fantastic photographer. I'd say he's legendary. His work on Cape Cod stopped me in my tracks. His entire portfolio is incredible but it was his work on Cape Cod that first caught my eye. Meyerowitz's stunning seascapes and documentation of life in all its idyllic quietness gave me a better understanding of what it's like to just live. To just experience. His images are simple yet complex and they arrest me with such a compelling strength.

Oh...I am at a loss to describe the power of his images. I can only strive to see and create as he does. I think I got lost somewhere along the way and started photographing lightly and without thought, forgetting how much Meyerowitz's work inspired me.

Eggplant Parmesan & Asparagus

Just some new yuminess I've been working on. Um um um...!!! I love asparagus. And I love a good eggplant parmesan. Although I styled the top layer of cheese and parsley, I must give thanks to Chef Jon for cooking the eggplant and arranging it so nicely with the initial layer of sauce, parmesan, and greens. YUM.

The Utility Closet

This photo was taken a few months back at Franklin High School in Portland, OR. I dare say it's the sweetest looking utility closet I've ever been in. Well, it was actually more of a small room; a large walk-in closet if you will.

I love photographing old schools. I just told a friend yesterday that one of these days I'm going to go back to my old university and spend a week or two going through all the buildings and photographing all the unique spots. I've wanted to do this since my first year of college but never quite had enough time...or didn't make time...hmm.

Nevertheless, I'll add it to my project list...which is already eight feet long.

Happy Leap Year!

Might as well get that out because it'll be another four years before I can say that again with gusto.

The Change Mug That Made its Way Home (sort of)

In early January I was standing at our dresser in the master bedroom putting away some socks and other folded laundry when I glanced at Jon's glass mug full of change sitting atop the dresser.

As long as I've known him he's had that mug, full of change, sitting on top of the same dresser. He had it at his place when we were dating, then it moved (along with the dresser) to our first home after we married, and now there it was, sitting on top of it's old buddy, the dresser, in our home in Washington state, twenty minutes from Portland, OR, home of the Rose Festival.

I don't know what prompted me to read the mug. It's just one of those things in your home that you get so used to seeing you hardly notice the details.

My eyes opened incredulously as I saw clearly for the first time the words "Portland Rose Festival."

What? I had to laugh. Who put those words on there? Surely it hasn't always said that.

I later mentioned to Jon, "Hey, you know your change mug says, 'Portland Rose Festival' on it."

"Really?" He had to go and take a look for himself and then gave a prompt "huh" once satisfied.

"Where did you get it?" I asked.

"I dunno. Somewhere in Colorado. Maybe. I dunno."

I don't know where Jon got the mug or how it ended up several states away from Oregon, but here it is, eight years later, twenty minutes from home.

1965 Polaroid "Swinger" Camera

This little commercial is too catchy and nostalgic not to post. It stars Ali MacGraw and the Polaroid Swinger Camera.

Polaroid announced on February 8, 2008 that they're ceasing production of instant film. Although there's something captivating about the jagged and painterly edges of a photograph taken with Polaroid film (with those those terribly intriguing yet telltale circles), I'm only slightly sad about this. I remember playing with an old black polaroid camera when I was young. Ah, childhood...Wish you could've been here just this second as I flipped through the pages of my mental album, viewing all the polaroids of the family from ages ago. ...Baby pictures... Mom and all the girls in the family playing dress-up, Mom and Dad before I was born...

And still recently Jon and I were in a thrift store before Christmas rummaging through ancient electronics tossed on a metal shelf when we found an old Polaroid Camera with film still in it. Granted, the film was light leaked but for some inexplicable reason I just had to have it. The chemicals had long since dried, leaving random bubbly designs on the front and back of each Polaroid. We eventually left after deciding there was nothing worth buying but I left that thrift store a happy girl with three little mysterious Polaroids tucked under my arm.

Well, goodbye Polaroid. There are ways to recreate things digitally, but I imagine it'd be hard to recreate something as tactile as the real thing.

And so the digital age moves on.

Beachy Rings

I have some friends getting married in a few months. They're getting married near a body of water.
On some sand.
Like, on a beach.
Not just any beach. A Hawaiian beach.

And I'm invited.

Of course I am.
I'm in the wedding party and apparently the wedding party is riding in a limo around the island taking pics in different locales on the wedding day. How sweet is that? Very sweet I tell you. So sweet I think I'm already getting a cavity. (....yeah...I'm just so funny...)

Anyway, yes, these are their actual rings. The bride's is super pretty! Very sparkly. And we girls know it's all about the sparkle. (click on the pic to get a better look, then hit your browser's back button to read the rest of this fascinating tale)

The groom's? Whew! I've never held a ring that heavy. It's like holding a car part. SO HEAVY!!! Jon would be going crazy with something that heavy on his finger. Good thing he doesn't have a heavy ring.

So anyway, the groom knows his ring is heavy, he picked it out. He just hasn't seen the actual ring in person. I don't know, man. That thing is super heavy. My arm would be dragging behind me. But it's a nice looking ring. Very sleek, stylish, and yet completely masculine.

A nice choice--a heavy choice--but nice.

Okay, good night for now.

Max Playing at Mt. Hood

Maxie at Mt. Hood

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Imago Dei Community Church

Imago Dei Community Church at Franklin High School in Portland, OR.

Jon and I and a couple of our friends went to Imago Dei yesterday (by friends I mean Jack, Nikki, Kessia, Josh, Kessia, Kessia and Kessia). Jon and I were in search of a true worship experience and we found it in the community at Imago Dei. What an awesome, awesome place. I felt like I was back at my home church in Texas. The atmosphere was great, refreshing and not full of stuffy, rigid traditions. Praise God for Imago Dei.

www.imagodeicommunity.com