Chocolate Cake for All (Happy Saturday!)
I couldn’t help but share the little adventure I just had in my kitchen with approximately a ton of chocolate cake batter (please note that this bowl is approximately 2x the size of my head):
for a couple of projects. One, to make a raspberry filled chocolate birthday cake for my awesome friend Jennie’s party tonight, the second was to make a dozen s’mores cupcakes for someone who is actually paying me (!) real (not monopoly) money (!!) for them.
S’mores cupcakes are amazing, I am sure I’m not the only person who makes them, but here’s how I decided to go about it a while back:
First, you press graham cracker crust (pulse one package graham crackers with half a stick of butter and a little sugar in the food processor) into the bottom of your cupcake liners.
Then put a little chocolate at the bottom of each cupcake, in this case I used Ghirardelli 60% pieces (which are my go-to) but regular Hersheys milk chocolate could be fun for the s’mores theme…
Then pour your favorite chocolate cake batter in (this is mine)
And bake!
After they’re cooked place one large marshmallow on top of each cupcake (or, in this case I cut two marshmallows in half and put the four halves down for better coverage).
Then, bake for just a couple minutes until the marshmallows are puffy and golden brown. The genius of this is that it’s WAY easier than frosting, but really fun so no one will think that’s why you did it!
The chocolate cake was made with the same batter, two nine-inch layers, some homemade raspberry filling and a rich chocolate ganache icing.
Yum.
Spring?
Ok, so I’m going to confess…I haven’t been doing all that much in the way of photography, because I’ve been hiding from the incredibly awful weather we have been having the vast majority of this “spring.” Granted, there have certainly been some pretty days and I have taken advantage of most of them but overall the Seattle mood is a little glum these days…
I did get the chance to take some photos of an incredibly active (and cute!) little guy for his dad’s second Father’s day:
I also have an independent, art for art’s sake project going on but I’m not sure what the venue for sharing it will be yet…maybe keep your eyes peeled for a show at an art walk near you?
Christian and Christina
C & C are getting married this July and I have the great fortune to be photographing their wedding which is going to be outdoor, breezy and laid back…a lot like their engagement shoot which was this past Sunday (which also happened to be the first day of spring). These two have been together a long time, and their engagement is not new. They could have fooled me. These two have palpable affection for each other which has obviously not faded over time and I can’t wait to watch them get married in July.
Lovebirds
I love photographing couples. That’s really what led me to pursue photography as anything but a hobby: the energy between a couple in love. It’s always different, every couple has their own unique dynamic and personality, and when I can capture a few moments of it I always feel I have truly succeeded. Here are few favorites of a few of the couples I have been lucky enough to photograph recently…
Babies
If the most astonishing moments of my job happen when I have a shoot with a newly arrived infant whose mother’s bump I have photographed what feels like only moments before, then a close second is that next shoot where the baby has grown what seems like an unreasonable amount. These, for the most part, are the type of family shoots that I have had since I last blogged; and these are some favorite images from those:
Long time no blog.
I think I was in denial about how long it had been since I had posted here! November! That’s absurd. I promise I will try to do much much better in the future. I hope I get a pass for January at least though since I was in Hawaii…
magic sands beach, big island
And I also got a puppy…
…and made some delicious food
But I also took some pictures of some beautiful people…and I know, I know – I should have shared them. So keep your eyes peeled for some highlight-reel style makeup posts. First: babies. Then: lovebirds. I hope you’re excited because I sure am.
Olympic Sculpture Park Engagement
Happy fall everyone! This was a fun shoot for a few reasons, the first being that I donated this shoot to a nonprofit organization I support and the lovely Mackenzie won it at their annual Liberty Ball auction. Because of this, though we had several emails back and forth, the first time I actually met Mackenzie and her family was the day of the shoot (a little nerve wracking!) but when I did I felt incredibly lucky, they’re so lovely! The next was that although this was an engagement shoot there were two adorable, giggly, rambunctious bonus components to it: the children of the groom-to-be. The kids are unfairly photogenic and it was so much fun to include them in the photos. Then there was the location: the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is always a great place for photography, but on this particular Saturday the fall colors were out in full force and the soft, mostly overcast lighting made the colors glow. Best of luck to the lovely couple! Here’s a sample of some of my favorites from the day:
Seattle Portrait Photographer: Kayla on the Beach
It was cool and cloudy on the day of our shoot but Kayla is a true Northwesterner and seemed to enjoy her day at the beach just as much – if not more – than if the weather had been sunny and warm. I especially enjoyed getting this mildly afraid of heights girl to climb up the lifeguard tower for some super fun shots!
Seattle Portrait Photographer: Happy 2nd Birthday!
What’s cuter than a newly two year old exclaiming “woow!” as each of his presents is opened? Nothing, that’s what. This kid takes cuteness to a whole new level and it was a pleasure to be part of his big day turning (not so terrible) 2.
Seattle Portrait Photographer: Fall Inspiration
It sure feels like fall the past few days here in Seattle, alternately rainy and partly cloudy but always cool and a little breezy. It’s got me thinking about ideas for fall portrait sessions: apples, state fairs, hay stacks, golden fields, pumpkins, bright colored rain coats, all things back to school, adorable umbrellas, stomping boots, colorful leaves, windswept hair, bonfires, Halloween…the list goes on. Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons and I can’t wait to take advantage of it!
Upcoming events for me include a pie contest I’m entering, the fair, photography for a good cause and, of course, a fun fall photo shoot with you (yes, you)!
