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{rest in paradise, sweet callee girl}
11 Mayit is with a very heavy and woeful heart that i post this blog.
this past week, i made the very difficult decision to put my kitty, callee, down to eternal rest. she was my best friend, my sidekick, my companion, my love. she gave me purpose and something to look forward to coming home to. for so many years she gave me a reason to feel important, a love i have still never known, and so much appreciation in my heart for what a good girl she was. she did not bite or scratch people or furniture, she didn’t jump on countertops, knock stuff over, or most of the typical cat stuff. she was so loving and sweet and loved to be adored and petted. she was my little shadow… followed me everywhere. she “slow-blinked” at me all the time and just adored me. she was a “talker” as my best friend would say, she was vocal and a good listener, she was also a good learner and just an overall great animal and pet. i was overwhelmingly blessed to have her in my life for such a long time. i still can’t believe she’s gone. it will take me some time to grieve and move on. i used to think i would want another kitty immediately, but now that i’m here in this space and time, i realize i feel differently… i just know i need to have grace with myself and allow myself to take it all one moment and day at a time until i decide i may want to adopt again.
losing her is a great loss for me. it was a long time coming… she had been declining for about the last year and i did all i could to hold on and let her hold on… but in the last days, i knew she was ready to go. she was telling me every day and finally i had to make the decision in haste. i found a wonderful local place that was able to take her immediately and so graciously helped and comforted me through the very tragic and daunting process. i also had a tremendously wonderful friend help me through the entire journey, even long before the final day arrived. these people are important to me and i will be forever grateful to have them there during the painful and heart-wrenching procedure.
in her final days, she was a lot more affectionate with me. she was always so loving, but not much of a “lap cat.” but one day last week she came into my recliner with me and laid on my chest for what felt like days, although it was probably only a half hour. but it was the best gift she could’ve given me. she nudged her little head into my armpit and held me close. i will forever cherish that moment. days later, when we sat in the veterinarian office and i had made my last memories with her, she was calm and was purring and rubbing her head against my hand, almost as if to thank me. we both knew it was time. and i reminded her that although i was no longer going to be able to play the role of her mama on this earth, that she would be so warmly greeted and welcomed by my mama on the other side.
and believe me when i say this – SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT! ❤
so on this mothers day, which is usually a hard day for me anyway, i honour my mother, and also being a “mother” to my sweet kitty, callee. she changed my life, saved my life, and forever will be in my life… and in my heart.
thank you to all of you who have made sweet comments about my dear callee girl, and those of you who had the pleasure to meet her, pet her, hear her, know her, and love her.
i’ll most likely post another blog with more pics of her… but for now, i will close with this favourite foto of her from 2017.
I LOVE YOU FOREVER, CALLEE GIRL!
{happy 12th birthday to food and foto dot com!}
22 Marit’s my blog’s birthday today! 😀
WOOHOO!
it’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since i started this cute little blog and created my website!
it’s been such a fun journey and i have thoroughly enjoyed this artistic and expressive playground. not only do i relish in taking fotographs and eating delicious food, and rambling about random things, but i very much also delight in writing about said things and sharing it with all of you!
if you are new here – WELCOME! and thank you for stopping by!
here’s a little something i wrote 12 years ago about myself… so funny to look back at that time in my life. i remember exactly where i was sitting when i very first sat down and decided to create this space on the internet. a space to express myself, to share my passion for food and fotography, and to explore my storytelling in a personal way.
i pour a lot of my heart and soul into this space and what i love most about it is that i can be as creative as i want in how and what i share. i also feel like this blog holds me accountable in a way… as in, helps me set aside time to be creative. i don’t have a lot of social media and although i do try to maintain it, this blog and website has been and will continue to be my main focus. it’s personal. it feels different.
in 12 years i have been fortunate to have over 1800 of you wonderful readers subscribe to my blog and take the time to read and engage… and for that i humbly want to express my GRATITUDE. especially to those of you who have been with me the entire time… from the start… encouraging me, supporting me, being my personal cheerleaders! THANK YOU! my hardcore fan, ANT – you know who you are! thank you for your unwavering dedication to supporting me and for your amazing friendship! i wouldn’t be here without you.
this year i am focusing a lot on maintaining food and foto dot com in a more consistent fashion. when i first started, i was blogging up to 5 times a week – whew! and for a little while, i wasn’t blogging at all. now, i believe i have found a healthy balance. my life has taken many twists and turns in 12 years. you’ve seen me living in a tiny house, traveling to new york, cooking yummy things, drinking yummy things, growing yummy things, and writing about all kinds of things like astrology and the moon… and of course, my kitty. sometimes i’ll look through my old posts and i think to myself, “wow, did i really just say all that on the internet?!” haha. but most of the time i laugh at myself and realize that in 12 years, a lot is bound to change… this blog, the world, life, ME…
{then and now} – wow!
and some things haven’t changed… i am a creature of habit and my “look” and “style” and overall marketing within this space is something i have not wavered from… i put a lot of thought and attention-to-detail into my blog, my business cards, the food i cook, my greeting cards, my art, and everything that is food and foto dot com – the aesthetics, the representation, the feel – all of it! this blog is an extension of WHO I AM… much of which is consistent, reliable, and faithful… and some of which is ever-changing, ever-growing, and ever-impermanent. and i celebrate all of that! 😀
so i’ve learned to have patience and grace and appreciation with myself over the years…and mostly – have a little fun!
and i hope you have a little fun while you’re here – click on some things, learn some things, teach me some things, share some things… and remember to keep it seriously simple!
AND! this is still hands down one of my favourite fotos of all time :
also – this one is a classic :
{it’s true!}
❤ ❤ ❤
nom nom click click!
{first portrait session of 2024}
26 Janthis was one of my favourite sessions ever! mister LT was just so much fun to work with. he was immediately confident and comfortable in front of the camera, and he made it so easy on me while i had the privilege of playing behind the lense. those are my favourite type of sessions!
he is a very talented singer and artist and overall awesome human being! i am so thankful we met!
here are some of my favourite images from our morning in the brisk january air…
{p.s. – how handsome is he?!}
{congratulations to d&m}
25 Augi recently had the utmost pleasure of fotographing these lovely humans on a warm sunny summer evening here in my hometown.
these two are so adorable!! my cousin {the handsome fellow} and his bride-to-be {the gorgeous lady} were so much fun to put my camera in front of! they were so laid-back and open and authentic. which, as we know, makes for the most wonderful images! it makes my job as a fotographer so easy and allows me to be fully immersed in the moment. when my “subjects” trust me and know they can just interact and be themselves, it offers space for me to do what i can do best –
CAPTURE INTIMATE & AUTHENTIC MOMENTS! 🙂 ❤
here are a few of my favourites from this special day!
i love you both dearly! ❤ ❤ ❤
p.s. – can’t wait for some baby pics!!! 😀
{this one goes out to judi}
21 Aughappy birthday, mama! ❤
i miss you so much! ❤
i miss you more as i get older – ardently, i just want to be able to take you to lunch or bring you flowers or treat us to a pedicure or meet for coffee or go for a walk or call you on the phone and complain about something that in the grand scheme of things is/was probably irrelevant or unnecessary but you would make it feel that much more important because you loved me so much and everything i cared about mattered to you. i also wish i could call you to talk about the hard things, too… and i just know you’d give the best advice and offer the best most loving support. i wish i could hear you say my name even just one more time.
not a day goes by that i don’t think about you… your love, your heart, your spirit, your mind, your energy, your humour, your kindness, your gentle nature, your hair, your eyes, your hands, your scent, your voice… the list goes on and on.i
i remember you had a tender and fragile heart of gold. i remember you could play the piano with such grace and ease. i remember you could read sheet music like it was a language to you… even songs you had never even heard before… if it was in front of you, you could read it and play it as if you’d been playing it forever! {anything by phil collins always comes to mind!} i remember it also was so crucial to you to teach us music – it was written in your soul. i remember you making funny faces on long car rides to entertain us… we called it the “bear face.” i remember you did this silly thing with your hand to crack me open and make me giggle when i was being stubborn or ornery. i remember you constantly encouraged me to write and to be creative {SO many days spent rearranging the furniture without asking you, and you would come home and praise me for it anyway!} i remember before you passed away, you sweetly requested to be buried with one of my stories that you had laminated and wire-bound for me. i remember you taught me how to use a typewriter and now i can type almost 90-words-per-minute on a computer. i remember nothing was as important to you as your children. i remember your favourite meal was stuffed shells {maybe i should make that today?!} i remember you were soft-spoken and understated, but also incredibly tenacious and resilient. i remember people noticed you, even though you didn’t want the attention. i remember that everyone remembers you. i remember that you left a remarkable impression on everyone you engaged with. i remember you had a quiet strength that i feel has been instilled in me because of you.
i remember that your very loving spirit and energy and influence are still present here, helping me every day to be better… and you leave me pennies… and you reconnect me with and/or bring people into my life that also remember you… those who share you with me… with whom i relate, connect, and learn from… and even those that never had the privilege of knowing you… the mothers in my life that give me motherly love… that accept me and honor me and show up for me… those who have “adopted me” ❤ !!!
{*** LP, PL, SJ – shout out to you… you know who you are, and i’m forever thankful to and for you! ***}
when someone compliments me in just about any way, i pretty much always say – “i got it from my mama.”
and another thing! — why does my cat remind me of you?! ha! one of my fondest memories since you’ve been gone is when we threw you a birthday tea party! i would love to do that for you again. the older i get, the more i look like you. lately, i keep my hair short – which i personally like for lots of reasons, but also mostly because it makes me look more like you. last week, i was treated to a dinner out for the first time in a long time, and i carried your denim purse with me… it’s so 80’s and it’s so fabulous! {still can’t believe all the fashion stuff eventually circles back around – haha!} there are lots of things that were yours that i kept for many years and eventually let go of… but some things i held on to, and i love that you find ways to remind me that you’re still with me, and within me. most of that comes with an intangible feeling in my heart and not from material things. ohhh, how i am continuouilsy so thankful for that!
i am so thankful that you were and are my mom and that i am your daughter! i will continue to celebrate you and all that you did and all that you showed me and all the ways i am like you! i love you, judi.
to my readers : thank you for having the space to allow me share these very personal and intimate thoughts about my beloved mom on this special day. thank you to those of you that have been on this journey with me all of these years. thank you to those who reach out and show me love through your thoughts, words, and actions.
to all of you : love the ones you love with all the love you have. always and forever…
{audrey and venus and jupiter, oh my!}
21 Feband the awesome crescent moon… lookin’ like the cheshire cat smile!!!
🙂
p.s. i love how you can see the outline of the moon, too!
both venus and jupiter will be visible through the end of february! so, make sure to look up! ❤
and don’t forget to get out in nature! it’s so healing!!!
{what’s for dinner?}
9 Feb
pan-seared mahi mahi – crusted with old bay and lemon juice, served with homemade roasted corn and shishito pepper succotash, and a glass of miller high life – ‘cuz we fancy. 😉
what are YOU having for dinner??
{happy holidays and happy new year!}
5 Jangreetings!
happy holidays and happy new year! {also – happy mercury retrograde for all you astrology fans out there!}
i hope you all are doing well! also, i wanted to welcome my new readers to this tiny little space on the world wide web. thank you for taking time to subscribe and follow along – i truly hope you enjoy the time you spend here at food and foto dot com.
as a personal goal, i am working to post new blogs at least once or twice a month… but ideally, my aim is to post once a week. as usual, you can expect the topics to include all things food and foto related – as well as the great outdoors, cool people and places, occasional astrology jargon, and general musings/ramblings from yours truly.
for example :
even though our temps have been in the mid 50s all week, this morning i was thinking about the weather and how i really never liked winter… this became particularly true when i lived in the high country in colorado and worked at 12,000 feet elevation {brrrr!}. i don’t enjoy the cold, although i do know that some people really do! the winter season is just not my favourite. however, i have recently learned to embrace each season for different reasons.
as humans, we are just as much a part of nature as nature itself. i sometimes feel we have really lost that connection and we often forget that we, too, have seasons. whether it be the “aging” process, or a relationship, or a job, or relocating/moving, or any other variables in life, we all go through seasons. and i believe that the winter season is a time to relax, reflect, and regain strength for spring. it’s a time to hibernate and go within, and most importantly – a time to REST!
personally, i {now} enjoy the downtime that winter has to offer more than I ever did in the past. of course – a lot has changed in my life which has offered me new perspective on this time of year… but nevertheless, i have certainly learned to embrace this season in a different way. plus, {in true introvert form} i enjoy working on a lot of puzzles this time of year – one of my favourite hobbies. 😉
also, i am not really big on “resolutions” – but i did make a short list of things i want to do more of this year. that includes :
- practice my piano/keyboard
- learn how to use {and use!} my sewing machine
- spend less time on social media and more time on my blog
- grow a vegetable and flower garden closer to my home
- get back into my exercise routine
- volunteer somewhere in my local community
- welcome more ways to sell my greeting cards
do you have any resolutions or goals this year?
{i’ve always wanted one of these!}
29 Juli have some of the best people in my life! thoughtful, genuine, generous people… and i’m so thankful!
for my birthday last year, a dear friend gave me this awesome feather pen and quill ink stamp kit. i have always wanted one! i casually mentioned it to this person, and one day she brought it to me and i just shrieked in excitement! 🙂
i have since written several letters and sent them out to a select few people… it is just so much fun! i found this cool stationery that i had been holding onto for years, and it was just perfect for this kit!
my thoughts are like this – the internet and social media and all of that have great perks… but i also tend to be a little old-school… in that, i will always love sending and receiving mail! so this is just a perfect addition to my artistic studio!
would you like a hand-written wax-stamped letter from me? go to my about me page and fill out the form with your mailing address information and let’s be pen pals! 😀
{praying mantis hatching}
20 Juni thought this would be a good post to celebrate the summer solstice! 😀
i have always been somewhat obsessed with the praying mantis. for as long as i can remember, i just thought they were so cool, and when i was a kid i used to look for them everywhere i would go! i saw one giving itself a bath one time and it was just about the most amazing thing ever. until i saw THIS! something i have had on my “bucket list” for a while…
backtrack a bit – when i lived in north carolina, a friend of mine found a praying mantis pod {aka ootheca} and saved it for me. i, of course, totally freaked out about it and immediately went to read about how to care for it… then i took a bunch of photos of it and eventually put in my garden…
i did not get to see that one hatch at that time, but this year… i totally made up for it. i found at least a dozen of these in my garden earlier this year. and in late spring, they all began to hatch… and all of these baby praying mantids started to emerge!
IT WAS SO COOL!!!
fun facts :
baby praying mantids are called nymphs. they hatch by the dozens {or sometimes hundreds} a while after the mama creates her ootheca pod {which tranlates to “a place to keep.”} praying mantids are so good for the garden! they are beneficial predatory insects… which basically means they prey the harmful insects which would otherwise harm or eat plants! and i just totally adore them!
{strawberry full moon}
15 Junobviously i have a little theme going here, lately… 😉
all things strawberry!!!
upon waking {accidentally super early} this morning, i went down to the park and captured a few fotos of the beautiful full {strawberry} moon. while there, i made friends with a few ducks, and even finally got to see some baby ducklings for the first time this season!
please enjoy these lovely fotos!
i just love that gradient sky! good morning {and good night} moon! ❤
see the blue herring?!
i just love a pier on a summer morning…
mama and baby ducks… they followed me around for a bit… it was so cute!
baby ducklings splashing around…
aaahhhhhh, morning golden hour! the best!
how was your morning? have a great day!
{garden update – volume 2}
7 Junthis update is a little late… so much has been going on at the garden! we had a lot of rain here, and so the plants are growing and thriving so well!
i typically plant seasonally. so i started with my cool season crops like radishes, peas, beets, spinach, kale, arugula, and lettuce… most of which i have harvested lately. i also harvested the garlic and onions that i adopted from last year. the peas are starting to produce fruit which is exciting, and the lettuce is still thriving and i planted more this week. i started planting my summer crops – cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and more lettuce. i also planted flowers this year, which is kind of new for me – nasturtiums, calendula, and coneflower.
here is a progress report on what my overall garden plot looks like. i currently have a lot of seeds in the ground, and i take some pride in having beautiful soil and very little to no weeds. i am so excited to continue to watch the growth and progress! 🙂
do you have a garden? what are you growing?
{garden update}
30 Aprthe weather here in Maryland has been so confusing for the last two months. i think we even had a frost last week! however, i do believe we are finally hitting that spring stride… and i’m so ready!
i’ve been steadily getting my garden ready, also! currently, i have lots of sprouts coming up, hooray! i also have a lot of weeds, boo! but i’m holding off on doing too much weeding just yet so i make sure not to pull any sprouts. typically i don’t have any weeds and i take pride in that… but i’ll just have to be patient for now. 😉
here are some pics to show the progress. {if you follow me on instagram, you’ve probably already seen these… and if you don’t, please do – here.}
{nature hike}
30 Marnothing like a stroll in nature to clear the mind, connect with the earth, and welcome the new season!
it’s been a little chilly here lately {boo!} but just recently, i took a little walk with my cousin through a beautiful trail nearby and we both had our cameras in hand.
here are a few of my favourite images from the day.
happy spring, y’all – hope it’s springing where you are!
stumbled onto this along the way!
had a little fun taking pics of it…
these trees kind of remind of me aspens…
nothing like sunset over the water…
how’s the weather where you live?
{belated full moon post}
19 Febi took some pretty pictures of the moon a while back and never got around to posting them. since we recently experienced a full moon, i thought i would share some of those images here with you.
also – my favourite quote :
“to be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best to make you something else, is to fight the hardest battle you are going to fight… never stop fighting.” – ee cummings
{new garden season!}
15 Febhey y’all!
it’s a bit early in the year for such things, but this area in the northeast offered some nice weather this past weekend, so i was eager to get outside and get my hands in the dirt! as you know, there isn’t much that makes me feel happier than being in nature – and especially, being in a garden!!!
#farmeraudrey
it pleases me to say – that i finally found a community garden that is only about 15 minutes from where i currently live. i am so excited about it! i was also pleasantly surprised to discover that the plot i adopted is about 3 times the size of the last one i took care of in north carolina! this gives me so many ideas on what to plant, and i am feeling so grateful!!!
please stay tuned… as there will be more updates to come… but for now, here’s a brief overview of the work i did this past saturday when the temperatures were in the high 50s!
before…
during…
after…
the person who took care of this plot last season planted lots of beautiful garlic and onions… which apparently are mine now! and although i am very grateful to have them, i will have to figure out what to do with some of the crops since ultimately i will need to have access to the foundation before it’s time to harvest them…
also – i feel like it doesn’t look like i did much {haha}… and i still have a lot of work to do… but i was there for about 3 hours and i was able to clear out a lot of weeds, etc… i also brought a souvenir home, in the form of a slight rash on my arms from all of the random things i was pulling out of the ground and off the fence line, in my attempt to start prepping the soil {haha!} but fret not, my body and skin are just fine now… that said – next time, i ought to consider and/or be more conscious about wearing longer sleeves… sometimes i just get right into the thick of things, without thinking much… 😉
are you prepping for a garden this year? please comment and share what you plan on growing and any tips you may have! i love to hear from and talk with fellow gardeners! ❤
also – please follow me on instagram for more updates!
{maryland crab cakes – food and foto style}
5 Nova little ramble to preface this post…
i just love living in maryland once again! this is my home. i’ve traveled all around this country and lived in several different states, and yet i came back here… so i feel like there’s something to be said about that. one of the things i love most about maryland is the seafood! every time i lived anywhere else, i was always trying to recreate the seafood experience that exists in this region. i remember one time when i was in colorado, i actually paid to have some maryland crabs shipped to me because i was craving them so intensely! at the time, i was working for a specialty market that was able to hook me up, so that was awesome!
i swear i could eat steamed maryland blue crabs every single day… 24/7/365! during the summer months, i splurge a little and treat myself to them once or twice a month. now that the season is ending, i’m feeling a little sad and will miss enjoying them on the regular. that said, i was gifted some crabs last week by some loving and generous people, so i ate some {most!} and picked the rest and saved them for crab cakes. actually, i was going to save the meat and freeze it for making some crab soup over the winter… but i decided to whip up these crab cakes instead. i guess that means i should eat crabs one more time before the weekend so i can save the meat for winter! {do you understand my logic?! ;)}
did you know that late summer / early autumn is actually the best time for enjoying steamed maryland blue crabs? it’s mostly because they have beens swimming around and eating all summer and getting bigger and therefore more full and delicious!
i used to be so intimidated by making crab cakes because it is the ultimate maryland delicacy and i felt like there was no way i could make a good one. and then on a random sunday, i just went for it! i kept the recipe simple, as you know we like to do around here, and they turned out terrific! typically i don’t eat a lot of fried foods, but in this case i prefer the fried crab cake over the broiled or baked. at least when i make them at home… it just seams to taste better that way.
here’s a little foto story about my recent crab cake making journey…
i started with about 2 cups crab meat {that i hand-picked}, one egg, and roughly 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup mustard, and then i heavy-handedly sprinkled in some old bay…
i gently mixed the bread crumbs, old bay, and crab meat together… then mixed the egg, mayo, and mustard together…
i gently blended the wet and dry ingredients {don’t want to over-mix, need to keep it lumpy!} then put the mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes…
finally, i created two patties and fried them in vegetable oil until crisp and golden brown on each side. i served with a mayo/mustard combo dip and old bay garnish.
may i just say i am SUPER proud of myself for doing this?! these crab cakes turned out so delicious and i am glad i got beyond my fear because now i have one other dish to add to my recipe repertoire and to share with those i love!
do you like crab cakes? or seafood for that matter? comment your favs below!
{homecoming portraits : mister C and miss R}
29 Octwould ya just look at this adorable couple!
i had such a great time taking some cute and fun fotographs of them right before they went out for their first homecoming experience! {ahhh, remember those days?!}
these types of portrait sessions are my absolute favourite! i love spending time with the youth, they always make me laugh and bring out the best in me! i especially love it when we establish an instantaneous connection! the lighting and weather in northern maryland were just perfect on this late october evening just before dusk, with the colourful autumn sky and leaves changing and falling. this sweet couple were both full of personality and instantly connected comfortably with my camera. i just love it when that happens so naturally!
here are a few of my favourite images :
i loved fotographing these cuties!
i loved their colour scheme!
i loved their laughs!
i love the preset filter i used for this image!
i loved their spontaneity! at one point, i asked them for a “silly” pose and this is what they gave me – haha!
i loved this candid moment! the struggle was real – trying to pin his boutonnière on properly.
i loved this solo moment when i asked miss R to “twirl” for me!
i LOVE this image! it is my favourite shot of the day… i LOVE the light and the chicken coop in the background!
i loved this portrait session so much!
i am audrey michelle
i am a minimalist
food & foto 