five things, august 10 edition

1. I think it's very rare for me to make a meal verbatum based on a cookbook or blog post, but Helene had me at Chilled Cucumber Avocado soup, and how could I not add the prosciutto and cauliflower flatbread? I tweaked a little, simply because I didn't have all of the ingredients she used, but all in all we were pretty happy.

2. I think Erin's two posts on her not-so-chance encounter with Gary Oldman are some of the funniest things I've seen on the internet in a long while. Go and read them here and here and see if you ever think about Sirius Black in the same way.

3. I think so far I'm liking my Clarisonic. I can't shake the fact that I feel like a guy with an electric razor when I use it on my chin, but still, I like it.

4. I think I'm so glad I ordered Dinner, a Love Story. I'm going to pretty much love it. I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't yet have a Jamie Oliver cookbook, but there are so many! Any suggestions as to where I should start?

5. I think I need a break. Not completely, but summer is winding down (sob) and I really want to soak up these last few weeks at home with my boy. I want to help him get ready for Middle School (yipes!) and gear up for his birthday which is early next month. Also, I'm contemplating some changes to SPL. Nothing major, but I need to refocus my efforts here. Mark doesn't like it that I don't post first thing in the mornings, and I've been thinking about tweaking the Morning Photo, Afternoon Post model. I hate to leave it behind, but if it's not doing anything, then why bother? I'm playing around with a design change (as you may have heard), so maybe it's really time to shift things up. All this to say, Monday, Wednesday, Friday for me for the next few weeks. I'll be back for reals (or not) after Labor Day.

harvest {life}

Our little vegetable garden has struggled this year. It's mostly a lack of light. Turns out we have a pretty dark backyard. The tomatoes flowered but not much else, the beets bought it, and something ate the collards. The cukes are okay so far, and we can always count on potatoes. Neel gathered these few handsful last weekend, and they've been sitting on our counter ever since. Waiting for something suitably impressive to make them into. In other words, these divine little beauties aren't your average hash brown. I can still remember our first taste of home grown potatoes last year, and I'm looking forward to the experience again. Any suggestions as to what they should be?

take flight {life}

We had to keep the secret for weeks. Neel's dad called some time before our arrival in Atlanta to see if we'd be up for it. A biplane ride for Callum? Heck yes! But in case it rained or something else didn't work out, no one could say a word. Even as we pulled up to the airport, Cal thought we were headed to brunch. I think it took until he was actually climbing into the plane before he really started to believe it.

He was gone for half an hour, and it felt much shorter. Even to us on the ground, it felt short. Because we'd been to the game a couple nights earlier, they flew over the stadium and through downtown Atlanta. The plane itself was a 1936 replica but built in the 1980s. For those of you who asked if I was scared, I wasn't. I was mostly thrilled for him. I wish it could have lasted longer. Cal said he wasn't scared either (except for dropping Neel's phone, which he took up with him), but that it was a little weird being in the open cockpit. Practically the first thing he did when he landed was hold up Neel's phone so we'd know he hadn't dropped it.

He took some of his own pictures.

Now he wants flying lessons.

Ballgame {life}

Part of the reason that we chose the weekend that we did to visit Neel's family in Atlanta was that Callum's beloved Phillies were in town playing the Braves. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

We got there early, before the gates opened even, and splurged on some seats right on the first base line. Even though the away team sits along the third base, Callum's favorite player plays first base, and we wanted to get as near as possible.

Getting there early means you get to watch batting and fielding practice from up close. That's Cal, in the "Howard" jersey, watching Roy Halliday, his favorite pitcher. Halliday wasn't pitching that night, so he could hang out and shoot the breeze.

I love the way the players from opposing teams chat before the game. They've likely played together before and have stayed friends. It's like Little League.

Our guys got off to a hot start. My favorite player (Shane Victorino, based primarily on how nice he is in his twitter feed, and yep, he's been traded now. Go Dodgers!) hit a double and scored a run, but that was about all we had in us. It's been a rough year for the Phillies. Hard to take after going almost all the way last year. Once the score got out of hand, we concentrated on other stuff, like watching how fast the security guards slide in and out of the stands between innings.

Turner Field is a great old baseball field. Between batting practice and the start of the game, we got dinner at a burger joint and shared a picnic table with a Braves family. After the expected good-natured trash talking, the guy we were sitting with told us that the Braves have worked to turn Turner Field into the most fan-friendly stadium in the country. If you're a Chicago fan, you can get a deep-dish pizza. If you're a Phillie fan, you can get a cheesesteak. Because of the nature of Cal's favorite teams, we are most often away fans, and I can easily say that the experience we had in Atlanta was our best away game yet.

When Neel stopped to get a beer the vendor looked at me and said, "I know just what you need!" He took a large square paper towel and doused it in the ice he used to house the beer. Bliss. It stayed cool and wet for most of the game, and on that hot and muggy summer evening, not much felt nicer. Our seats were right behind the bat boy, and what a job that must be! The pressure of having fans yell at you all the time all but compensated for by getting to toss balls with Major League Baseball players.

We love the Atlanta Braves Bat Boy.

Chase Utley, one of the Phillies stars, hit a foul ball, and the Bat Boy picked it up, scanned the crowd and tossed it to my kid. Look at that smile.

Win? Lose? Who cares? Seeing my boy so happy that night, from start to finish. A mama couldn't ask for anything more.

Monday Mash Up, August 6

1. Seventh grade schedule | 2. Cucumber Mint Water | 3. Menu @ the Public House | 4. Fried Pickles | 5. Cal and Ama | 6. Back to the ocean | 7, 8, 9. We made my mom make pie | 10. Clarisonic | 11. All Olympics, all the time | 12. Pimms & Ginger with Lime | 13. New kicks | 14. Pizza night | 15. Who wouldn't want free hugs?

Well, after a great weekend, we just saw my mom off. It's pretty depressing to end such a fun visit on a Monday, I have to say. We had a good time. Just the kind of relaxing we needed after all the traveling we've been doing lately. My mom got in on Thursday and on Friday we hosted a small party for Neel's lab. He's had a student working with him for the past year who's headed back to his home university in Sweden, so the impetus of the gathering was a going-away party for Medhi. We grilled out and had three kinds of salads (I always figure that's the easiest way to go for hot weather parties.), and of course I made our lemon berry trifle. Since I tend to have just one cocktail a night, I'm paying particular attention to having refreshing non-alcoholic drinks on hand. The sangria we had at the dinner party we attended a few weeks ago fit the bill perfectly, and for this gathering I made some cucumber-mint water as an option for those who didn't want beer or wine and didn't find the idea of soda appealing either. It was so refreshing. May have to have it on hand all the time. Neel gave a funny and sweet and touching toast, and it was so nice to see him like this. With all the people who work for him. After all the years we went to lab parties, here we are, having our own.

Saturday we headed straight for the beach. It's unusual to have my mom visit us twice in such rapid succession (If you remember, she was just here in June for Cal's Lower School graduation.), but every time we went to the beach, I pictured her there, and I knew we needed to try to get in one summer visit with Ama. It was an unusual day. Windy with choppy waves and a strong current. Neel and Callum boggie boarded for quite awhile and had what has turned into our usual dolpin encounter. Mom and I were sitting on the shore when we saw the dolphins swim in so close, close enough that one splashed Neel! He says they were less than six feet away. We feel awesomely lucky about that.

We watched the Olympics almost constantly. It's been wonderful. I've loved every single minute of it. Did anyone see the men's 10,000 meter race? That was one of the most thrilling things I've watched. And I've long been a Federer fan, but we were pulling so hard for Andy Murry to win in tennis. So excited for Team GB to be hosting such wonderful games.

And of course we chained my mom to the kitchen. Of course. She made a peach pie (amazing). Wasn't thrilled with the crust, so she thought she might make another. She didn't. There's no end to the grief we've given her about that. We did let her take us shopping though where she got Callum some new kicks for school (he loves them!), and she treated me to a Clarisonic. It's charging in my sink right now (Ha ha ha! Not really, Erin.), but I'll let you know what I think of it.

All of your thoughful comments and treat suggestions on Friday's post meant the world to me. Parenting is hard work, no doubt, and for the most part I think Neel and I do a good job. And self-assessment is important too because this landscape changes constantly. We've been in some situations recently that have reinforced some of what we already know. And what I know is that love is not always enough. It's a great start and the most and the best, but kids need more. When love is shown through some of the things I mentioned last week, like structure and boundaries, then you're on the right path, I think. Even when that path throws you a curve time and again. And speaking of curves, how is it possible that my child is about to be in seventh grade?

I'm weighing my treat options. A tip from WWGD had me researching this brand for hours yesterday. Does anyone have any experience? What's not to love, right? May have to check it out. And a cookbook, that's more a treat for the whole family, right? Right?? We'll see.

It was a funny little weekend. Lots of global highs and lows. The death of Andy Reid's son was tragic and heartbreaking. Pretty much every parent's worst nightmare. And the shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin is not only horrific but simply dumbfounding to me. How can we continue, as a society, to do this to our fellow humans? I'm bereft and baffled. And in the midst of all that sadness, such joy. The South African double amputee competing in his first Olympics. And did you hear? We landed on Mars. How absolutely freaking awesome is that? We went to bed before the Curiosity landed, and when I woke up this morning, it was first on my mind.

It's promising to be somewhat gloomy over the next few days, and I'm down with that. We need to really settle back in. We're slow to get started today. We're all up on Callum's bed. The dogs are snoring and he's reading and I'm writing this post. But it's time to get at it. Make some lists, write some posts, take some photos. Head to the grocery store. Finish the laundry. I have a project or two I'm thinking about and some cooking I'd like to do. And how are you, my dears? I'm looking forward to getting back into my rhythm because I've missed you! xo

five things, august 3rd edition

My boy is in that plane!

1. I think I've been thinking about a recurring column called "Lately." Just a collection of latelys. Lately I've been enjoying...lately I've been dreaming about....lately I've been thinking. But I also think it might be a little too much like Five Things. So maybe no Lately. We'll see.

2. I think I'm so restless these days. I just want to get up and...go. I feel this urge with every single bone in my body. It oozes from my very pores. The things I want to do truly aren't possible for us right now, so I'm trying to channel my restlessness in other ways. Bathroom remodel, perhaps? I'm beyond thrilled that my mom's visit this weekend and my dad's next will be the last time guests will use that gnarly guest bathroom. I know you all liked it, but the devil is in the details. As I was cleaning it, it took everything I had not to start chipping away the tile! Neel's aunt and uncle have a gorgeous new condo with a bathroom that was beyond inspiring. Glass enclosed shower AND separate tub, y'all! We took pictures AND measurements. Will this new project cure my restlessness? I don't know. It'll give me something else to think about though.

3. I think I'm anxious to get back in the kitchen. Soups are calling me. Some homemade pizzas for the grill, perhaps. We've been neglecting the cooking portion of the summer to-do list.

4. I think I'm feeling in need of a little treat (I did get a notebook! Moleskine, of course!). Oh, I don't know. Some kind of little something, for my house or for me. Any suggestions? Neel thought maybe I needed a spa day, and that certainly wouldn't go amiss. But I'm open to other ideas if you have them. Diptych? A couple cookbooks (like I need more of those)? Sephora trip? Fling out a ballroom wing?

5. I think I had a parenting epiphany recently. People, I am so imperfect at this. I screw up this gig all the time. But every day I try. Neel and I both. We try as hard as we can to help Callum grow up into a young man who can meet the challenges of the world he inhabits. Those challenges stretch from learning how to navigate the washer and dryer to learning how to navigate challenging people. And here's what I realized: there's a difference between raising your kids and simply watching them grow up. That difference is vast. Don't be afraid to step up to the plate. Structure, routine and boundaries. These are the things that kids need and crave and if they are provided with love, even when you screw up, then you haven't really led them wrong. That's what I'm banking on, at least.

Monday Mash Up, Week End Wrap Up

We're home! I missed you guys!

We hopped down to Atlanta this weekend to visit Neel's family. His parents, his aunt and uncle, brother and sister-in-law and little nephew all live there now. Sometimes we fly and sometimes we drive, but the trips have a usual rhythm to them. We have friends to visit. Friends of mine from high school, who we usually meet at their pool. Friends of Neel's (and mine) from college. We had a lovely cookout with them.

Neel's aunt and uncle just moved to Atlanta, so we saw their gorgeous new condo (right across the hall from Neel's parents!). We played a lot with Cal's four-year-old cousin who was home while his school was on a three week break. We hit some pools and watched the dogs hit the pools too! And of course the trip revolved around food. On our last day Neel's dad took us to the Decatur Farmer's Market, and I nearly wept when I saw then "No Cameras/No Photography" signs when we walked in the door.

The two highlights of the trip, I hand to my boy. On Friday night, we recorded the opening ceremonies (I don't think my in-laws would have seen any of the olympics if it hadn't been for us!) and headed off to Atlanta's Turner Field to see Callum's beloved Phillies. Of course I'll have a blog post about this, but despite the loss we had a wonderful time. Just seeing Cal's excitement made my heart full. On Sunday, Cal's grandparents surprised him with a ride in a replica bi-plane as a Lower School graduation present. Yeah, there'll be a post about that coming too. It was pretty special.

Families are complicated, as you well know, and not all vacations are relaxing. We're worn out here but so happy to be home in our own space and back with our beloved pups. My mom comes tomorrow (can you believe it?), and on Friday we're having a small going-away party for a student in Neel's lab who is headed back to Sweden after studying here for a year. There's a lot to do. Like laundry. And grocery shopping. Oh, but I've missed you all. I've missed your blogs and your comments and hearing what's been going on. I likely won't be here tomorrow, but I'll be back on Friday with Five Things, and back again on Monday full force. Mwwwah. Love you all. What's been going on?

five things, july 27 edition

1. I think it's been so nice to see Cal playing baseball again this week. He's been at a half-day camp (thank God for the half-day part because it's been so hot) down the street from our house, and while I think he's among the oldest and tallest of the kids there, I know it's been both fun and good for him to be on the field. If you are a parent who has a child playing sports, or who may play sports or even if you're around kids playing sports, I encourage you to go read this post at Life by Andrea Victoria. Read the post she links to as well. We do pretty well at this in general, but we could all use a reminder.

2. I think know I'm so happy and proud of my ladies at Simply Selma's for the launch of their new web site. I can't say enough about these gals, can I? Well, next week I'll say more.

3. I think I should probably say something about the two news events that have dominated our week here in the U.S. First the horrible shootings in Aurora, Colorado. Really, I have no words. It was an unspeakable tragedy. Twelve people are dead. Twenty still hospitalized. We send them all lovingkindness every single night. To each and every one. I think a lot about the shooter's parents too. Did any of you see this article? There is not one bit of good for anyone in this situation, and while I hate to get political, I have to agree with whoever said that they don't understand it when as a nation our first reaction to an event such as this is to ban costumes and not assualt weapons.

The other dominant story, at least from the sports world, is that surrounding the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State Univeristy. Honestly? Don't get me started. Neel got his PhD from Penn State, and although we never lived there and only went to the actual university itself twice (Neel did his studies at a medical center about 2 hours away from State College, PA), it's a degree he's justifiably proud of. So here's what I think (and if you don't know of this story, please skip ahead). The statue should have come down. The school should have been sanctioned, although I truly regret the impact on the current players and coaches and I wonder at the lack of mention of the men truly involved in the cover up. This must be heartbreaking for the Paterno family, however Joe Paterno didn't talk when he should have, and perhaps they should consider "no comment," now. Finally, I have nevereverever EVER pulled for Penn State football. It goes against my very nature, really. But I am completely and totally impressed with their new head coach, so I'll be pulling for them to do well now.

4. I think I'm still in need of a jump start and some general inspiration. Do you think keeping a notebook would help? I have bits of pieces of paper everywhere, but I always think that the perfect (beautiful) notebook will make me, oh just a better person in general. Anybody have any suggestions?

5. I think I'm looking forward to our time visiting family and friends in Atlanta. The dogs were not happy to see the suitcases come out, but they, along with some friends, are holding down the fort at home. Nearly every single member of Neel's family lives in Atlanta now (we're the outliers!) and we have good friends here as well, so it will be a full, fun weekend. I anticipate I'll have lots to report come Monday and next week. What is everyone else up to? Have a great weekend, ya'll. xo

good vibrations {life}

One of the items on our summer list was to ride our bikes more, but we figured out right away that Cal's bike was too small for him.

I love our collective neighborhood bikes. Cal was gifted his first bike by our neighbors who gave it to him as a fifth birthday present. The younger boys in the 'hood are riding that bike now.

When it beacame clear that Cal's most recent bike was too small for him, he moved onto this retro dream. This bike is technically Neel's, but I'm not completely sure how it ended up in our shed. I'm pretty sure our neighbor Tyler gave it to us, but it doesn't really matter, because sharing bikes like this is how we roll around here.

We lowered the seat and oiled the chain. He gave them a wash and was ready to go.

He even offered to wash my bike too. My bike is at least fifteen years old. It was a cool beach cruiser before beach cruisers were cool. The whole time we lived in California I didn't ride it because it was too hilly for my gearless old friend. Flat Tidewater is perfect.

We're all ready to roll.

dinner with friends {life}

We had dinner with a small group of friends from Neel's work on Saturday night. I love it when work friends become more than that. When the talk about work just... isn't. We've known these folks forever, some since we moved here (so, forever), and one was the young man who was Cal's babysitter throughout his own high school years. Matthew is home from college for the summer, and it's such a delight to spend time with him. He's been to one of Cal's baseball games and has offered to golf or throw the ball with our boy. What hope it gives you to see a boy you knew and liked grow into a fine young man.

Julie, a colleague of Neel's who hails from Australia, made an amazing dinner. She wouldn't let us bring anything but some wine. We started with cheese and tapenade and marinated olives and mushrooms all served with a non alcoholic sangria (so the younger set didn't feel left out) that was absolutely delightful. Dinner began with gazpacho, a mix between white and red, and moved on to marinated grilled vegetables, a spinach salad with dates and prosciutto and lamb stuffed with chorizo sausage. Every mouthful was a dream. Is it any wonder that I tapped her for any interest in a supper club? And for dessert? Make your own sundaes with homemade chocolate and raspberry sauces. Heaven.

Better yet was the company. The rain lashed the windows which were brightened by the occasional burst of lightning. The music played long and low. The conversation wound around and around. From sport to food to school to childhood.

It was just what a dinner party should be. Bring on more.

monday mash up, July 23

1. Thank yous | 2. Hotter than hot. | 3. Moo-love. | 4. Morning ritual. | 5. Clean out. | 6. Fish on the grill. | 7. Lunch. | 8. And lunch. | 9. Gem-bliss. | 10. Sunday-night starter. | 11. Dinner with friends. | 12. Dessert with friends.

Well, how is everybody today? I had such a weird weekend, a total study in contrasts. Saturday was go-go-go. We'd planned to hit our local art museum as a family in the morning, but Neel and I both got going on hot and sweaty projects that made it tricky to get out the door. Take note of all those bags ready to get donated. Why do I always have bags and bags to donate a day after the guys come around collecting? Once we did get out the door, it was a rush to Chipotle for lunch, which is always awesome, but where they were cooking something peppery that made people cough as soon as they walked in the door. It happened to all of us. You cough for a few minutes, uncomfortable, and then all done. Weird. Then Neel rushed Cal to a baseball hitting session while I got to go hang out with my favorite ladies and some of the most gorgeous jewels ever at Selma's. Big news coming from Simply Selma's, and I'll fill you in on that soon, but have you ever seen Suzy Landa's jewelry? Heartstoppers. And she's such fun too. I haven't looked at the pics I took yet, but I'll post a bit more about my afternoon there later in the week. You know how much I love being there. I loved sharing my new Moo cards with those guys (honestly, I'm so tickled with my cards, that I'll share them with anybody!), and it was totally worth the white-knuckled drive home through a blinding storm just to spend the afternoon with some of my favorite women.

We were invited to a lovely dinner party Saturday night, and I'll tell you more about that this week too. As we were getting ready to go, Neel and I were talking about how we feel like we never go to dinner parties any more. It's just not part of our vibe these days. But of course just that afternoon, I'd been talking with the Selma's gals about doing a dinner party next month, and the final photo from last week's Monday Mash Up was from a dinner party we were at last week. So what's the matter with me? Still, it got us to talking about the idea of starting a supper club. What do you think, Julie? You in? Any one else?

It stormed the whole time we were at our friend's house for dinner and had just stopped raining by the time we headed out to the car. And of course one day after I tell Erin that wedges are oh-so-stable, I stepped in a huge hole (Neel even stepped in it, gingerly, to verify how deep it was.) and twisted my ankle. Nothing terrible happened. There's nothing broken or torn or even terribly swollen, but I woke up Sunday morning with an achy foot and an achy head and generally spent the day feeling sorry for myself. It was great! Kidding. So Saturday was go-go-go and Sunday was sit-sit-sit. Except for the grocery store. And we steamed some mussels and grilled some fish. And Neel edged our front path and it looks beautiful.

I spent a good bit of my down time continuing to fiddle with my new Squarespace site design. It's been giving me fits and making me feel dumb, which just isn't how anyone wants to be. I know that played a part in the funk I was feeling last week. That and just trying to coalesce how I feel about this space and what I want it to be. I asked Suzy to tell me her story a little on Saturday, and although we didn't get to chat long (lucky for those guys it got busy, but when does she come back, Marianne???), she said something really compelling. Her parents always wanted her to have a back-up plan, and she said that she doesn't believe in them. If you have a back-up plan, you use it. Food for thought. I got to a better space about the site design, one where I'm making decisions about what I want it to convey rather than trying to make boxes move to places on the page that they don't want to go (maddening), and it gives me time to think about what I really want. I'm not completely there yet, but I have to remember that my word for the year is leap. Need to keep working. Keep refining my craft. Keep learning. And trust that the path will become clear.

I have to tell you about that pepper! I was editing some pictures at the computer Friday night when Cal came bolting in from the back yard. This in and of itself is not unusual. But there was an urgency to his bolting that made me take notice. I looked up to find him, face flushed, guzzling water and looking around for bread. Less than a minute, Neel came bolting in and yanked the water away from my son. Apparently they are Thai red peppers. Cal ate a whole one and Neel ate half. Now Neel's half Indian and Callum prides himself on his ability to tackle spicy stuff. Not that tiny bullet. Callum said his jaw and even his ear hurt. He was still talking about it days later. I will not be trying said peppers.

We watched The Hunt for Red October Sunday night. Callum had to read it for school (it's over 600 pages long), and to celebrate we pulled out the movie. It's one of our favorites. I'm proud of him for powering through the book. I had a banana popsicle. It was almost as good as I remembered. But quite possibly the best part of the weekend was two gorgeous thank you notes from Teri and Theresa. I don't hand write notes enough, and I should. Getting those sweet messages from my far-away friends meant the world. I'm inspired. Time to order some notecards from Moo.

five things, july 20 edition

1. I think it's been a fun and challenging photography week. The challenging part? Etched glass. Shew. That was hard. But guys, I can't thank you enough for all of your kind comments on Catherine's amazing food. A little lock clicked open inside my heart as I posted those photos and read all of your wonderful comments. It reminded me how much I love photographing food and still lifes. One of my goals this summer was to get back in touch with my camera and it feels so good to have done that. I'm ready for more. A lens upgrade maybe and more classes. But it's past time for staying here, in this place. I'm ready for more.

2. I think I am SO HAPPY that Project Runway Season 10 started last night! Seriously, the only TV (besides baseball) around here has been King of the Hill and James Bond. It's time to spice things up a bit. And Top Chef Masters AND the Olympics start next week. So. Who's watching what with me?

3. I think I'm about ready for the heat to break. When I get up at 5:30 and it's already 80 degrees? Gracious. I can't even get outside to walk or run then. If you sit really, really still when you're outside, you might be okay, But don't move. Really. Don't move.

4. I think I have such a fun mood board project for us! I might even get in the game. My friend Megan has just moved to Nantucket (cue pretend crying here: wah-wah) where her family is renting a house that needs some love. Think beach, but not pastel, southern beach. More like Adirondack beach. Sleeping porch and lake house. If you like throwing these together for fun, shoot me an email, and if we get enough boards, we'll do a post to give Megan some inspiration for her new home.

5. I think I'm in a bit of a creative funk. I'm working on the new Squarespace 6 platform to test out a new blog design, and it's mostly testing my patience (and my limitations!). I'm feeling uncertain of where to go from here with my work as a photographer and a blogger. Is it just a mid-summer funk? Or do I need a push to get to bigger and better things? Not sure really. Trying to trust the process and myself, and that's not always the easiest place to be. My friend Sarah and I used to say, "If I'm not going to be hard on myself, who will be?" I think I need some time off, or maybe even on. We have some nice plans this weekend. Dinner with some friends we rarely see, but also some time in the studio (cleaning, of course!), and we'll work to get Neel back to the beach. What does your weekend hold? I hope you're not feeling blue like me.

Catherine's Catering :: Sneak Peek {life}

macarons

This past spring I had the dream job of shooting some food for my dear friend and amazing chef Catherine Gettier of Catherine's Catering. After years of working in restaurants, Catherine is following her heart and has just opened her own catering business.

macarons with raspberry sauce

We decided that since I've been taking some pictures of food and she was trying to launch a web presence, not to mention a business, we'd work together to start to build a portfolio of photos she could use. But let me tell you, making the leap to catering was a brilliant move on her part; the woman is busy. It took us forever to get together to take some photos, and even then we didn't get everything done that we wanted to. It's a process, people.

spring rolls

But this post is not about that process of shooting these photos and building a portfolio for her website. It's about Catherine and her amazing food.

spring rolls

We met years ago. Our kids were in school together for a bit, and Catherine did all the catering for our school functions. Can I say that no one can steam asparagus like this woman? Seriously.

fruit platter

She's a French-trained chef, and all that skill shows not just in how amazing her food tastes, but in the style she brings to everything she does.

sweet potato biscuits with ham

I've had her food at intimate receptions, weddings, cooking classes and large gatherings, and it never fails to please. Oh, the cooking classes were so much fun!

salmon biscuits with dill

We had so much fun while she was here for the photos. Catching up on our kids and our lives. It was an effortless few hours of shooting beautiful food.

I was thrilled for the opportunity to help her start to pull together some images for her website, and I can't wait for us to do more.

madelines

madelines

Her food is a work of art. Who wouldn't want to spend time with it?

Locals? Interested in a phenomenal caterer, who also happens to be a delight to work with? All the details about Catherine's Catering, along with some of my photos, can be found here.