WA + OR State | Personal

Part 2 of our vacation today! In a span of 7 days, we managed to go to two different cities, the beach, the desert, and the mountains -- this post will cover everything but the cities, so keep reading :)

The Northwest seriously has it made; within 3 hours you can drive all the way from the beach to the desert. Or you can go to the mountains where you will find FEET of snow in July! It was absolutely crazy and to say we were unprepared is a bit of an understatement. Most of y'all are from the East, so you know July like I do -- insanely hot to the point you don't even want to leave your house. To be fair, we checked the weather for Seattle and Portland before leaving and they were actually quite similar. What we failed to check was the conditions in the mountains! 

There were definitely a few -- adventures -- along the way, so I posted a little story about each location. Some are funny, others probably kinda boring, but the views were just amazing, so definitely check those out!  

Next week I'll put up my final post: Portland! 


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Strawberry Snickerdoodle Shortcake | What's Cooking Wednesday

Have you ever noticed that the whipped cream on desserts at a bakery, inside those little glass cases always looks perfect -- no matter how many days it's been sitting there?  Maybe that's just me, but it always made me sorta mad because when I made whipped cream at home, it would be flat and gross within 24 hours. 

Welp, thanks to Pinterest (surprise), I found out that there is such thing as stabilized whipped cream. By simply adding a unflavored gelatin to your recipe, it will hold forever! Okay, maybe not quite forever, but for as long as you can last without eating the entire thing :) 

I wanted to give it a test run and decided what better than some strawberry shortcake, where whipped cream is pretty much obligatory. This recipe is a fun little twist on the regular  and the result were nothing short of amazing -- enjoy!! 

Curiosity question: Does anyone else hate whipped cream on ice cream but like it on pretty much anything else? For some reason they don't jive for me!
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Sparkler Exits | Tips

I recently joined a few different "photographers only" groups on Facebook -- many are there to cross-post when they are looking to provide a bride with referrals or for photographers to ask questions and brainstorm ideas. The photography community in general seems to be a very giving place when it comes to knowledge sharing and I am eternally grateful for that; I can't tell you how much I've learned in such a short time just from the kindness of others. 

All of this is to say, that one of the groups, Shoot & Share of Northern VA, is a bit different from the rest; in addition to being an open forum, there is also the added element of teaching! The group is led by Abby of Abby Grace Photography and each month she takes the time to plan an event for fellow photographers to learn something new and grow. 

I attended my first event last week and the topic was focused on sparkler exits. This was absolutely a perfect first topic for me; I had yet to have the opportunity to shoot a sparkler exit, but as a growing trend in the wedding industry, I wanted to be prepared for when I was responsible for one! Turns out, timing was perfect; just last Saturday I was second shooting a wedding with Megan Chase and we had a beautiful sparkler exit at the end of the reception.

It was great to spend the evening meeting some new friends, sharing tips, and getting a bit of practice. I left feeling even more excited for the next event in August to learn a bit about off camera lighting! Here are some of the fun practice shots I took!

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Seattle | Personal

Every time we go to a new city, I'm always leaving saying, "I wish I lived there instead of DC! At least they have x, y, and z!! DC has nothing!!". Yep, I can be a huge brat. I know DC has so much to offer, but you always get used to where you live and even the cool parts become white noise. Our time in Seattle was absolutely no different. I truly loved that city, but I also got quite a distorted view -- the weather was 90 degrees and sunny, not a cloud in the sky! But deep down, I know that I could never live somewhere it rained 85% of the year. 

Driving in from the airport, you could immediately tell how much this state cares about it's appearance -- pine trees were everywhere and no litter was in sight (we actually saw a sign that read, Littering: $4,000 Fine -- what!?). Also, traffic? What traffic? THAT I could definitely live without!  There was so much to see (and even more to eat) that we were bummed we only planned out two days. The Chihuly Museum, Fremont Troll, and Gasworks Park were among our favorites, but check out all our pics to see even more of the sights were managed to cram in in such a short time!

Next week I'll be posting about some of the day trips we took in between Seattle and Portland! It was by far my favorite part of the trip :)


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Mango Baked Beans | What's Cooking Wednesday

I 've been a Bush's baked beans girl all my life -- they are delicious, quick, easy -- basically the perfect side dish for anything on the grill. But as it goes, you get sick of eating the same thing and want to change it up. I've tried other flavors, but honestly, I don't feel like there is much of a difference. Also, can we talk about how there is always that one, GIANT chunk of bacon? Every. Single. Time. No fail. My husband and I joke that whoever gets the giant chunk has to do the dishes. It kinda weirds me out though; Why is there only one chunk, but never two? How do they always get one in each can? I'm probably thinking about this too much...  

Anyway, before this gets awkward, let me move along. I decided to try out making my own baked beans to see if I could change it up a bit. I tried this once in high school (shout out to Ms. Stafford from Foods II) and they were awesome. It's a relatively quick recipe that you can throw together without too much stress; the hardest part is probably frying bacon so if you can do that, then these should a breeze! The mango flavor is distinct, but not overwhelming. Give 'em a try next time you a looking for a new side; I promise people will be impressed! 

Note: This recipe calls for an immersion blender. I can't remember if I talked about this gadget or not already, but it is seriously one of my all time favorite kitchen utensils -- I highly recommend picking one up. They are only $35 and can be used for all kinds of soups, sauces, and even milkshakes! If you can't find one in a pinch, use a food processor instead.


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Clifton Family Photographer | The Smouhas

A few months ago, I was introduced to Naomi through a giveaway on Dulles Moms -- I couldn't have gotten luckier because I finally had the chance to shoot their family session this past weekend and they were incredibly sweet and kind. Our timing also worked out perfect; July went easy on us and gave us one of those rare, but perfect 80 degree days. 

We were also joined by Naomi's husband, Alexander, and their five year old son, Jackson. Well, they tell me he is five, but he definitely was intelligent beyond his years! I already knew he was interested in swimming, but they also showed up to our shoot with guitars -- turns out Alexander is a fantastic player and Jackson is quickly going to be following in his footsteps. I know I've said it before, but I love sessions that include children. They have such great energy and you can just see the life in their eyes bursting out, making everyone around them feel full and happy. 

Another bonus: Naomi's parents were in town from Ohio for the weekend and were able to join us for a few images as well!  They have been married for 55 wonderful years -- which is another joy of working with families; seeing the love that has evolved over years and years.

Check out some images from our session; I know you'll be smiling by the end!


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Embrey Mill Pool Palooza Photographer | Events

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try out something new for me, event photography. A new community in Stafford, VA -- Embrey Mill by Newland Communities -- was hosting a grand opening event, Pool Palooza.  This, however, wasn't your average pool party! 

The pool itself was like a mini theme park, featuring a beach entry, 5 laps, a twirly slide, and water dumps. Everywhere you turned, there was another station: food, ice cream, glitter tattoos, and even a race track! I know it sounds like I'm selling this event to y'all but it genuinely was a fun day! Rob and I just moved about a year ago and not once have we done anything like this in our community. It's been really hard for us to meet new people due to the lack of coordinated events. Things like this, that bring the community together, I think are a huge part of why people stay longer or end up moving. Hopefully once our HOA installs a pool next summer, we will start doing more fun events!

There were some really awesome vendors at the event that I can't recommend enough:
Event Planning: RSVP Events and Weddings
Catering: R&R Catering
Ice Cream: Abner Butterfield
Music: Darcy Dawn
Balloons: Moore's Balloon Decor
Tents: Fredericksburg Rentals
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Brownie Trifles | What's Cooking Wednesday

I can't believe that I've been doing this series for over a month and have yet to post anything I've baked. I definitely like cooking, but I love baking. It is a huge stress reliever for me -- not something that I am required/needed to do, like cook dinner, but instead something special that provides an opportunity to get creative. Of course, indulging in it once it's done isn't too bad either. 

So! This week I have a two-fer for you guys. And the subject? Brownies! I tested out two different recipes that made brownie parfaits in a mason jars and they were both SO delicious that I couldn't not post both of them. One is s'mores in a jar and the other is a brownie batter trifle. I had such a hard time picking a favorite, but I think the brownie batter wins this round for one reason: brownie. batter. whipped. cream. Take a minute to think about that if you need to... then put down everything and go get the ingredients to make one of these immediately. I promise you will not be disappointed! Just think about halfing the recipe if you don't want to end up eating 4 mason jars of these :)


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Clover Forest Plantation Wedding Photographer | Ashlee & Brett

This summer, I have been incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to second shoot with photographers who I highly respect and have been following for years. I'm currently in a phase where I want to learn and grow as much as possible, so getting the chance to see a wedding day from their perspective has been absolutely priceless. They've been incredibly patient despite busy wedding days; letting me ask questions when they have a free second and teaching me new tricks.

I thought it would be fun to give a sneak peek of a few images I took during one of the weddings at Clover Forest Plantation. It was an absolutely perfect day -- one of those days when you can tell summer heat is about to break, but you still have the cool breeze and not a single cloud in sky. The pastor was hilarious and I got treated to one of the best live bands I've heard to date. Not to mention, I had the honor to shoot with the incredibly talented Ashley and Jeremy of We are the Mitchells -- seriously, these two are a blast and make wedding days so much fun!

Anyway, I can only share a few for now, but promise to have a full post for it in the future! Enjoy!!
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Leesburg Family Photographer | The Adomanis'

The largest family session I have done to date was four people... so when Madelein e-mailed me asking about a session for 11, I was a little nervous, but mostly excited! I love trying out new things and this session was no exception. We got a super hot, humid June day, which is hard enough for adults, but what I haven't mentioned is that there were also a total of five children, four of which were under the age of 4! They were such troopers and lasted much longer than I could've imagined. 

Madelein wanted to get these pictures because their family is spread out all across the country -- Virginia, Texas, and even Canada! They were together for the first time since the birth of their most recent child and wanted to remember the week by topping it off with some family pictures. Y'all... this is one good looking family! Wait til you see the blue eyes on these kids, they are stunning. 

I was ecstatic when she mentioned that they were looking to shoot in Leesburg; I had been seeing session after session at 48Fields and had been dying to get out there myself. This was finally my chance and it exceeded all my expectations! This is not only a beautiful location to shoot -- old barns, sweeping fields, and lush trees -- but is also private! When photographing 11 people, the last thing you want to have to worry about is working around people who are out in public milling about. Kelly, thank you for opening your fields to us, I cannot wait to get out there again! 

Enjoy my favorites from this hot, but beautiful, farm session! 


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Strawberry Summer Salad | What's Cooking Wednesday

I know a lot of people's method to grocery shopping is to make a couple trips to the store each week, getting what they need for that night's dinner after settling on a recipe earlier that morning. While the idea of it sounds alluring (the freshest ingredients!), the thought of doing that literally gives me anxiety. I think I have told you all before that I love making lists, and when it comes to grocery shopping, that is definitely no different. 

Each Sunday,  I sit down on my computer, open up my "Thing to Cook" board on Pinterest and start making a list of meals for the following week. No, not that week, the next week! Yep, I'm a little extreme. Then on the following Thursday/Friday, I go to the store and pick up all the ingredients so I am prepared. It takes a lot of planning, but I sort of love it because then I don't even need to think about it during the week; I simply check my list in the morning to know what to defrost for that day. 

One of our 'house rules' is that we always cook at home Monday - Thursday. This not only keeps us on a budget (since eating out is expensive), but also allows us to have some healthier meals during the week since we tend to indulge a bit more on the weekend. For us, part of that means including one salad a week. Salad can get a bit boring, so thanks to my BFF, Pinterest, we've been able to find some really unique variations. This is one of my absolute favorites for summer that comes together in minutes! Try serving it at your next picnic, I guarantee it will be a hit!



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Breakfast Potato Bowls | What's Cooking Wednesday

I know I'm not alone when I say there is something comforting about having breakfast for dinner. For me, breakfast is usually a meal that I only sit down to enjoy on weekends; during the week, I just pour cereal in a bowl and run out the door 5 minutes later. 

Weekends, however, feel like they are made for taking the time to enjoy some delicious homemade pancakes, hot crispy bacon, or scrambled eggs. So maybe the idea of having an elaborate breakfast -- for dinner -- makes me feel like I am back on weekend time, relaxing and enjoying the day. 

This particular skillet is the perfect combination for it too -- meat, potatoes, eggs -- all in one bowl.  I highly recommend using the single serve skillets so that you don't even need to change bowls after cooking! It's ready in under 30 minutes, so next time you need a mid-week break, try out this breakfast in a bowl :)

Apologies for the quality on these images; it got stormy one night in a hurry and I was left with no light!


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10 More Things | Personal

I thought it would be fun to do a follow up to my original 10 Things post from a couple weeks ago. I just want to give y'all a chance to get to know a little bit more about me. I know I said it before, but these are really hard to come up with -- but you never know what someone else will relate to or find interesting, so I'm putting it all out there for you! I love hearing from you guys too, so please leave some comments with your funny quirks!

Also, thought this would be a nice breezy post as Rob and I are in the midst of packing for our vacation -- we are leaving tomorrow to spend a week in Seattle, Portland, and a couple spots in between. We are really excited to have a nice mix of city and nature all in one trip. I cannot wait to share pictures when we get back! Seattle is infamous for it's rain, so do a little dance for us. 

Posting will be limited in the meantime, apologies in advance :)


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