{whatever wednesday – foto love}

26 Feb

snowlove-6

nothing makes me happier than when i’m taking pictures.  nothing makes my soul shine brighter and vibrate higher than when i have a camera in my hand. i am at my absolute best when i am capturing the world around me, through these eyes, through fotography.  creating memorable images is what i do best. i am in love with fotography, and it is in love with me.

fotography is my absolute passion in life.

snowlove-18

snow, however – is not. but we are working on establishing a healthy symbiotic relationship…

😉

{abstract snow}

25 Feb

i took my camera for a walk the other day… and goodness, was it slushy and wet.  however, it was still cool to see all the snow in its many forms… the patterns the water creates and carves as the it melts is just fascinating to me!

snowlove-4

snowlove-5

snowlove-3 Continue reading

{wild rice with lemon chicken, shallots, and tomatoes}

24 Feb

wildricelemonchix-6

it’s a little sad for me to admit that i just haven’t been cooking as much lately. i lovelovelovelovelove my tiny home, don’t get me wrong… but it has been a bit of a challenge to fotograph my recipes in action within 180 square feet.

so, i’ve just had to change the way i do things a little. and that’s okay.  i’m super forever inspired by one of my favourite bloggers – i mean she’s cute as a button, and she is into the same stuff i’m into regarding eating healthy and with the seasons.  i love her style of fotography as well; so simple and elegant and she’s such a new yorker – so classy.

i’m still working out the kinks to finding the perfect way to fotograph inside the tiny home – but for now, here’s a simple recipe i made up this weekend that turned out delicious! Continue reading

{nom nom, fresh pineapple}

22 Feb

after many years working in the organic food industry, i learned a lot about picking good produce.  it’s hilarious to watch me at the market – i take my time when picking out my fruit and vegetables, mostly because i know i’ll be fotographing them. and hey – aesthetics matter!  plus, food is outrageously expensive these days and i’ll be damned if i’m going to spend five dollars for a pineapple and not have it be incredible!

therefore, i browse the produce stands carefully when choosing what to buy. have you ever purchased something and it spoiled two days later or when you cut into it, the flesh was rotting or brown? not everything you pick up at the market is necessarily fresh and/or tasty at any given time – it’s another reason i prefer to buy and eat with the seasons… stuff just tastes better when it’s in season! i mean, wouldn’t you like to be picked during your prime?! 😉

pineapple-1

speaking of which, do you know how to pick a good pineapple?  the beginning of their season is just around the corner… and i’m already salivating thinking about them.

one thing to look for when picking out a pineapple – is how the leaves feel when pulled out from the top.  if they remove easily with little force, it’s a pretty sure sign your pineapple is ripe.  you also want to pay attention to the scent. i often sniff the bottom of the fruit, looking for a fresh scent that is strong enough to seep through.  and finally, you want to look for a pineapple that is a little darker in colour… not quite brown, but just golden… Continue reading

{foto friday – sometimes, all you have is a camera phone…}

21 Feb

…to capture the beautiful things that happen in your life…

and may i add – THANK GOODNESS that i have the capability to take pictures of life’s – shall we say – “precious moments” 😉

weekinfotosfeb212014-1

like when my cat totally curls up in my arms for 3 hours while i watch a movie on the couch…

weekinfotosfeb212014-2

or when i catch a glorious sunset…

weekinfotosfeb212014-7

or moonset… 😉

weekinfotosfeb212014-8

or when i’m wondering a trail on my lunch-break, and have a meaningful moment with nature…

have a great weekend!  

{thirsty thursday – “snapshot” from new belgium… it’s like they finally made a beer just for me!}

20 Feb

when i first spotted this at my local liquor store, i literally squealed, and then immediately grabbed my phone to take a picture.  are you kidding?!  i mean, you know they’re my absolute favourite, right?!  and you know i’m a fotographer, right?!  …

snapshot-1

snapshot wheat.

i didn’t buy it right away because i was walking… but then just yesterday, as i was having brunch with one of my girlfriends, i totally got to try it on tap!!!!

weekinfotosfeb212014-3

it is SO DELICIOUS!!  super cloudy and blonde, definitely a true wheat beer… full of flavour but not over-the-top strong.  it went down like orange juice, and so i had to have another… i am eager to try it from the bottle as well. and then, i’ll take a food-and-foto style pic of it 😉

ohhh, new belgium – you never fail me.

cheers!

{whatever wednesday – an unofficial review : town.}

19 Feb

so, i randomly and spontaneously my have potentially found my new favourite restaurant. the charming place is called town. and the period is part of the title, so don’t forget it. 😉 if the rumour that their menu changes up frequently is in fact accurate, i may make it official.  in the meantime, here is what i had for lunch the other day with a friend.

town.-1

maple-braised pork belly with caramelized onions, pear, and bacon bits on a bed of brussel sprout leaves… and my favourite thing we ordered — it was just heavenly!

town.-2

rabbit tacos with some kind of amazing salsa and a creamy mild cheese… shredded carrots, pepitas, scallions, and some other deliciousness.  and hey – don’t judge me.

town.-3

shrimp po’ boy… done a little differently, but still good. shrimp was super tasty as well as the homemade sweet potato chips, and the perfectly dill/sweet combo pickles were also excellent.

i tell ya one thing – i cannot wait to go back for dinner!!!!!!! 😀

aaannnnd, i really want to take pictures of/for them!  

{happy full-moon-mercury-retrograde-friday! *shew*}

14 Feb

how ya’ll feelin?

moonmercury-1

{whatever wednesday – the dark side of snow : volume two}

12 Feb

continued from last week

darksnow-4

isn’t this wild?!?!  sunken evil snow creature emerges… aaaaaahhhhh!!!

darksnow-7

darksnow-6

love the gradient effect…

darksnow-5

literally a “mountain” of snow…

{snow-covered aspen}

5 Feb

aspens-3

“go spend time with the aspen trees.  they’ll tell you how it works.  they’ll tell you to look to your roots for energy.  they’ll tell you there’s warmth beneath the surface.”  – kaya mclaren

snowyaspens-2

{post “soup-or-bowl” post}

3 Feb

soooo – the broncos lost the superbowl.  yeah, in like a MAJOR WAY!  *sigh*

i’ll leave the rants for the professionals – all i’m going to say is it’s a good thing i was surrounded with fun people and lots of delicious food.

broncos-1 broncos-2

it was a “soup-or-bowl” party – bring a soup or a bowl of salad. i brought maryland crab soup.  so i thought i’d share the recipe 🙂

marylandcrabsoup-7

i had never made this before – though i remember eating it almost every day for lunch when i was living in aberdeen, maryland many years ago.  my favourite little cafe on the side of the highway always had the biggest vat of it simmering all day and it smelled so amazing!

i just made it based on what i remembered and “winged” the rest… Continue reading

{snowy saturday}

1 Feb

2014snowstorm-26

2014snowstorm-15

{foto friday – so, it’s been snowing a little… and i was kind of a major slacker at work today}

31 Jan

…and i took a ton of pics with my favourite iphone app, shake-it.

2014snowstorm-1

beginning with a shameless selfie 🙂

2014snowstorm-6

POWDER DAY!

2014snowstorm-7

so pretty. Continue reading

{whatever wednesday – “the dark side of snow” : volume one}

29 Jan

xgames-13

walking through the filthy snow-packed hills during x-games this weekend, i became inspired… and thus, i have begun working on an actual artistic series called “the dark side of snow” 😉

i’ve been taking my camera with me to fotograph such things, but i wanted to share these few i snapped with my iphone.  do you ever stop to look at the details these old and dirty piles of snow create?! between the melting and re-freezing and various winds and plow trucks, snow forms from fluffy white flakes into slushy mixed-coloured mounds and stark white turns pitch black. it transforms from graceful to treacherous, from beautiful to ugly, from light to dense, from snow to something else entirely…

xgames-15

xgames-14

by the way, it’s almost time for mercury to go retrograde again… 😉

{travel tuesday – the winter x-games : from a slightly different perspective}

28 Jan

xgames-3

this weekend i helped work at the winter x games in buttermilk.  it was pretty unbelievable.

however, i didn’t go to see the athletes or even watch any of the event, and yet i had access to almost every venue and space on the mountain… what exactly then, was i doing at x games?!

sorting through this enormous pile of trash :

xgames-6

i’m not even kidding.  there were 2 other huge piles just like this in the two days i helped…

xgames-1

i was part of the “green team” for the weekend – sorting through waste to divert it from a going to a landfill. the goal was to divert 80%, and i believe we came damn close! that team is so amazingly dedicated!!!   Continue reading

{some stuff that happened this week – via the shake-it app}

25 Jan

weeklyfotos-2

i went to work – this is what i see when i arrive… 🙂

weeklyfotos-1

i had edible flowers in a salad i bought at the market…  that was a first, for sure! especially considering i just grabbed it from the salad bar… i also discovered that they sell boars head meat, which got me all kinds of excited and happy! 😀

weeklyfotos-3

i took a selfie at the bus-stop…

weeklyfotos-4

i enjoyed this amazing spread with some friends…

weeklyfotos-5

i saw this sunset over mt. sopris…

and now i’m off to check out the WINTER X-GAMES!! 😀 pics to follow…

have a great weekend, ya’ll!

{whatever wednesday – sometimes i just take pictures of pretty vegetables…}

22 Jan

artsyasparagus-1

even though we have a ways to go yet before it’s in season…

artsyasparagus-2

i’m totally craving asparagus lately…

artsyasparagus-4

and sometimes i just take pictures of produce… in case you haven’t noticed 🙂

watching me at the grocery store in the produce section is pretty hilarious, no doubt.  i take a long time to pick out my vegetables, mostly knowing that i’ll eventually have them in front of a camera… so i like them to be pretty 😉

happy wednesday!

{foto friday – “this house is blessed with love, laughter, family, friends, and a cat”}

17 Jan

just a couple shots of my kitty callee, being insanely cute and sitting next to this pillow my grandma gave me years before i even got callee… doesn’t the cat on the pillow look just like her?!!!

calleehousecat-2

gah, she’s just so cute!!!!!

calleehousecat-1

🙂  have a great weekend, everyone!

{thirsty thursday – a toast to all this white stuff outside!}

16 Jan

two delicious NBB brews to add to the list :

snowday-1

snow day – dark and rich and full of caramel notes…

accumulation-1

accumulation – bright and hoppy with a crisp finish…

both brews celebrate the winter season, and the fanciful snowfall that comes with it. fanciful… how fun is that word.

😉

please drink responsibly… for real, though.

{missing new york}

14 Jan
view from the top of a sky-rise near 57th and 10th

view from the top of a sky-rise near 57th and 10th

a random  retail window in the lower east side

a random boutique-store window in the lower east side

a snowy doorway

a snowy doorway

whatever.

whatever.

I {MISS} NEW YORK!!