The Daily Grapefruit

I have a cousin who married someone really amazing. She loves all things french, all things food and especially all things family. They are raising 4 scrumptious kids...which I hope my turn out like...exactly. Her blog is an inspiration. She talks about NORMAL stuff and when you read it it sounds like magic. Her love of food and of being a Mother constantly inspires me to stretch my creativity and to GIVE more.

Almost a year ago, she wanted to help me celebrate my new website launching and custom made me a menu. Finally a year later after passing through all sorts of weird pregnant food aversions, I made the meal. There was some substitutions based on what I had and how long I could stand in the kitchen before needing to de-swell my feet. But her menu helped us celebrate a dinner at home with "just the two of us" and Grant's birthday this week.

Bruschetta with fig/balsamic jam, green apple slices and melted gruyere

Fresh mixed green salad from this weeks CSA box from The Growing Experience

Roasted thyme and lemon chicken (made in our new Le Creuset french oven that we just treated ourselves with)

Sauteed corn with lemon and thyme (recipe on Grapefruit's blog. YUM)

Mashed potatoes with carrots

I'm always cooking at night and photo was taken on my iphone and I didn't truss the chicken AND...blah...blah...blah... You know what? It tasted good.

I ran out of steam last night but tonight for husbands dinner dessert I am making him pavlova with kiwi.

Thanks Grapefruit for your fantastic recipes and nourishing blog.

I am off to count the hours. xo.

The Best Part- VOTE!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBNnD5kuHUE&w=800&h=475] VOTE FOR THIS VIDEO TO BE ON THE SUPERBOWL HERE.

Some of our really good friends are finalists to win a commercial spot for doritos. How awesome is that. I think they spent like 90bucks and could win a million dollars. WHAT?!!!

I say we vote the socks off this so we can all say we knew them when. You can vote once a day.

Plus, this video is pretty much perfection.

Go! Fight! Win!!!!

(Plus one of the dudes that made this had his friend take off his prosthetic leg mid dance party at our wedding and then they proceeded to play it like a guitar. It could have been the best moment of our whole wedding day.)

Solitary Inspiration

If this would have been the only image I shot while in Kauai last month, I would have been content.

Some of you may look at it and think, "What's the big deal?" "A landscape with some horses?....this is #1 image you shot?"....and if you are thinking those things fine! Really. I didn't shoot it for you. I shot it for me.

I am tired of shooting when I don't feel inspired...so I don't. If I don't "see it"..if I don't "feel it", then I don't take 1000 frames of it that I later open up in photoshop and HAVE to dig through.

Ask yourself when you shoot, "Why?'. What are you going to do with that image? What does it mean to you? Why does it matter? As long as you have an answer SHOOT. And even if you don't, you can ignore me and still shoot it. Just don't come crying to me when you lose all feeling.

My life does not happen in front of screens or behind them (at least not all of it).

This image is purely sentimental. It reminds me of begging my family to pull over when I first laid eyes on that wide open space. I think I was 14yrs old...and I had to run through it. I HAD to. So they stopped and we jumped fences and were free. I hold my breath every time I see it. It reminds me of innocence and change and love and family and solitary inspiration. It is always blessed with magic light. It is my field. It's where I go to in my mind when I just need to run free.

I had my polaroid land camera and 2 frames left to get it right. Always guessing on exposure with that camera, since your options are "lighter or darker"...I was fiddling with the settings and focus etc..when I saw horses running strait towards my framed image. Could it be?!  No time to think. Say a prayer, finalize settings, push the shutter. It could be great. It could be a mess. Grant and I leaned over the white little sheet, peering at the first peeled corner. Oh please oh please oh please...60secs later and there it was. My favorite image of the whole trip. Just one shot...perfect to me.

We looked at each other. I'm not sure if we even said anything at all. He knew. I knew.

Guess we better head to the beach and think about how great our life is. First a stop at Banana Joe's.

(image shot of the Princeville Ranches, north shore Kauai)

Surprise Friends

The day before we left for our babymoon (which was my birthday), we recieved this amazing gift in the mail. It came from the other side of the world, from clients who have become friends.

No such thing really as "surprise friends" but sometimes my excitement from friendships formed from client relationships surprise me like a gift I love to get but never expected.

Like we needed a thank you for being flown to Australia to shoot Dave & Mel's wedding...but they are just those type of people. Always giving thanks and appreciation.

We love the poster and your friendship more.

(umm and how good will it look in our new place?!)

I have the BJITW.

Modernica

We just bought these amazing fiber glass molded chairs yesterday at a preview sale at Modernica in LA. (by "we" I mean G-rant...since I am in SF)...but I was helping via phone! If you live near LA and are in the market for some great modern furniture, check out their site at www.modernica.net and go to their factory sale tomorrow!

We bought 6 chairs at 40% off their regular price. Major win.

(I also have no idea how this post will look since I'm doing it from my iPhone).

Moop

(Images via Moop)

I had been eyeing these  Moop handmade bags for months and finally ordered these three beauties.

They arrived in perfect timing wrapped in brown paper with a handwritten note and are now joining me on my travels abroad.

I thought I loved them online but once I had them in my hands they were even better. So well made.

Thank you Moop!

Jane Austen's Fight Club

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2PM0om2El8&w=800&h=475]

I've always bragged that my friends are smartest, prettiest and most fashionable, and here is proof.

Emily Card's (Fanny) brilliant Masterpiece won the grand prize at a small film festival here in LA.

JAFC has been talked about by TIME, NPR and many others around the interwebs.

My favorite lines are, " Is that your blood?!"..."oh, yes. Some of it".

Way to go smart, pretty, drop dead brilliant friends!

Caroline's Trip to Seattle

(all photos taken by Caroline and snagged from her flickr)

Remember the trip to Seattle I gave away when my new website launched? Well, Caroline was the lucky winner and just returned from her trip to the Northwest.

She graciously shared some photos with us documenting all of the fun and deliciousness (I spy some oysters from Elliots Oyster House).

Visit her blog and get ready to spend all of your money. Everything she shares I want to buy.

Caroline I am glad you had a little getaway. I had the best time gifting it.

Maybe it's time to give away more prizes?

Color Me Katie

http://www.babelgum.com/embed/3020170 I am a little bit in love with her.

This video made me so happy and inspired. I love making connections with strangers..helping you realize you aren't strangers at all.

I think Katie has inspired me to continue my "strangers on airplanes" portraits (seen here and here). These are the types of interactions with photography that I truly love.

Here's to a weekend of chance encounters and creative ideas.

Motion

We are off on our European adventure with a new friend...A Canon 310XL super 8 camera. Grant found this baby and we are excited to test our skills at movie making.

I have pre- blogged and maybe if I'm lucky I'll find time to share some stuff while we are on the road. xo.

JR Organics

Grant and I picked up our first box of food after joining a CSA farming program finally. We have been waiting to join for years now and are kicking ourselves for waiting so long. These items taste amazingly good. This photo doesn't even show everything we got in one box.

I'm sure I will be talking more about this in the future because I have formed fairly strong opinions about factory farms vs. family farms over the past few years.

We decided it was time for us to make a consicious change in how we eat and what we support...and I am here to tell you, it feels SO good.

(photo shoot of my fruit and veggies inspired by this design sponge post. Thanks design sponge, LOVE YOU.)

M. Sasek

Grant and I have been eyeing these books for sometime and he bought me a few as part of an anniversary gift. The color, texture and overall visual interest of Sasek's work give me no choice but obsession.

I am excited someday to read books with our children and teach them about our favorite places in the world.

My friend Bonny posted a link to this article on her blog. Pretty incredible. I'm not sure if I could ever be this devote to reading with my own kids someday....but wouldn't it be great?

Harvey Faircloth

I am shooting a wedding for one of the brilliant masterminds behind the Harvey Faircloth line. Cool, right?

I thought it was high time to place an order and outfit myself in honor of the upcoming nuptials....and lets just say they are making me look real good.

If I ever look photo worthy I will document my fun new items and share, but for now go to their store and drool.

(check out their inspiration board. GREAT!)