And now, 30 minutes later, my girls are BOUNCING off of the walls because they had one of these… yikes!
Adventures in Baking
The girls and I (mostly Ainsley, though Avery’s interest was certainly piqued when licking the utensils was mentioned…) baked a cake today for a friend’s birthday. Ainsley is VERY motivated to cook… it’s amazing, because I’m pretty sure I was only born with a baking gene, so baking we did. I thought it’d be fun to document it for her so she could see herself in action. I really didn’t do a whole lot, just supervised, measured things, washed dishes, and documented. They added sprinkles at the end, and it was kind of lacking in creativity, so I added some dorky swirls which were a hit with the birthday girl. It was a fun process. Too bad we can’t eat cake every day! When we finally got to have a slice, Ainsley told me, “Mom, I make the best cakes ever.” She’s so modest!
My Kitchen
My kitchen is so tiny, but “well-lived-in.” That’s a nice way of saying it’s sometimes a little too close for comfort and if I don’t sweep several times a day, the kids’ crumbs are everywhere. I’m thankful for Ikea and cheap, easy-to-install organizational systems like these shelves.
There are pluses to this kitchen, though… the light that streams in is so pretty and warm. Even on cold, gloomy days like today. This was early this morning, before the girls and I made a huge mess baking a cake. I love the routine of getting up early, sometimes before the sun, even when I don’t have to, and making coffee, breakfast, and reading the newspaper. Sometimes I wish I lived further out from the city so I could better enjoy a slower life. But then, I’d probably miss convenience and noise.
Edited to add: That clock has said 9:05 for years… I’m too lazy to wind it every third day…
For fun…
My friend and I went around town and took some pictures of her just for the heck of it. I love taking photos of people who actually want to be photographed!
Drew and Steven’s Wedding
Some great friends got married last fall and I’ve finally gotten around to sharing the photos that I took. I wasn’t their photographer — they actually hired a pro! He did a fantastic job on both their engagement and wedding photos. I did snap a few shots here and there, but ultimately, I didn’t want to worry about my camera all night, so I tried not to touch it and just have fun celebrating!
Everything about their day was just perfect!
The “F” Family – Holiday Photos
Here are some shots I did for a friend for holiday cards. These were taken at Caroline Park in Redlands. Such great light there in the late afternoon!
Camping at El Capitan State Beach
In June we went camping for a few days up north of Santa Barbara at El Capitan State Beach with some good friends of ours. We had a great time! It was so much fun that we’re already planning our trip for next summer.
Our tent!
Avery found a little cap to some sort of acorn and then added tiny pebbles to it and told everyone it was a hummingbird’s nest. So cute!
Dinner! Hangar 24 of course had to make an appearance…
Dessert…
The campfire:
Post sleeping-bag hair!
A day at the beach. It was chilly!
Post-beach ice cream!
A Gift for Dad
My friend Shannon wanted to give some photos to her husband for Father’s Day, so we did a few in order to make a collage. I love they way they turned out — suburban simple? It was her idea to include the old school bottle of soda here and there.
