{the girls of pink apple} preview

here's a peek at a sassy session from the girls behind pink apple photography!

  

meet gwen & lara
*click on the images for the larger, lovelier photos*

{jennifer's custom cookies}

did the last three weeks leave you dreaming about cookies? i don't blame you...

as i mentioned in my preview post, jennifer is an extremely talented artist, not to mention one of the most genuine people i know. she decided to put her background in architecture and design to work in the form of hands-on, edible artwork. it was an absolute privilege to see her cookie art process first-hand.

i spent the afternoon with her...watching as her simple sketches turned into jaw-dropping creations right before my eyes. the steps are tedious, but it's clear that jennifer loves all the detail work. she makes cookies for any occasion...birthdays, showers, graduations, school activities, and more. and did i mention the the cookies taste fantastic?!

check out this awesome toy story cookie!

(made specially for her nephew's 5th birthday)

are you ready for the finished product?

.....

 (and just for fun...look at her adorable nephew with all that determination!)

now that you're salivating, go check out more of her amazing creations at jennifer's custom cookies blog!

{taking charge}

oh, blog...sweet blog of mine...i'm sorry i've neglected you. life has been a little busy these days.  and busy is an understatement. i know what you're going to say...most some of it is self-inflicted. i know. but i promise my lack of blogging is not intentional. i am going to take charge and make you a bigger priority.

what's that famous saying?  

"i've always wanted to be a procrastinator...i just never got around to it."

cue the violin.

my weekends are filled with traveling (so much fun, but it leaves little to be desired if i don't share a little more)....

my days are chock full of work (have i mentioned i have a big kid job during the week?) p.s. big kid jobs are overrated...

my evenings are overflowing with photo editing, countless wedding meetings, snacking, more editing, making to-do lists, calling old friends, awkward attempts at baking, cleaning, packing/unpacking and more editing...

*note - don't get married and start a business and make giant life plans all in the same year*

so what's coming up?

• jennifer's custom cookies - finally...the full post!
• sneak peak of the outrageously fun girls behind pink apple photography
• more ramblings from yours truly

and now...a tiny photo from last weekend. because a post is no fun without a photo. and because i like to show off my rarely clean hair and ridiculously cute fiancé.

{cold veggie pizza}

i relish in taking the "scenic way" home on a warm, breezy afternoon...or tackling a lofty craft project...or making a 5-hour chili and licking the bowl with complete satisfaction.

but let's get real here. i also love a good shortcut.

in honor of late summer- and one of the prettiest days we've had all month -i thought i'd share a quick and easy appetizer. most of you have seen adaptations of this before...it's straight-forward and contains simple ingredients. it's the perfect shortcut when you need a snack or an easy, no-thinking-required recipe. *to my sister, katie. i think you could even handle this!*

cold veggie pizza

ingredients: 

• 1 pillsbury thin crust pizza dough (found near the cookie dough and crescent rolls)

• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup carrots (cheaters like me will buy the pre-cut carrot slivers)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
• other tasty toppings – any other color bell pepper / cauliflower florets / olives (if you don’t think they taste like dirty socks, like i do)

• 8 oz. brick of cream cheese (i prefer the reduced fat variety)
• approximately ½ cup – 1 cup of mayo or sour cream (plain greek yogurt probably works well too). you just need some creamy dairy to make the cream cheese silky.
• 1 pack of dry ranch mix to taste. you may not need the entire packet. (i buy the harvest dill variety…if you buy plain mix, maybe add fresh dill to your toppings list!)

step-by-step:

• let your cream cheese sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. just let it soften and do its thing.
• bake one pillsbury thin crust pizza dough on a large baking sheet (follow package instructions for baking…it takes a little practice to roll the dough out evenly into a large rectangle). sometimes i brush a little olive oil on top before it goes in the oven. it makes me feel gourmet.
•  while the dough bakes, chop up your veggies.

• take your pizza crust out of the oven (stop to admire your work) and let it cool for a solid10-15 minutes.
• while it’s cooling, whip up your ranch mixture.
• spread the cheesy ranch mixture across the dough and top with veggies and cheese (lighten press all the toppings down with your clean hands to get everything to stick!)
• cut into single servings.

*i also cheated and borrowed all these images from google*  

{c is for cookie}

my job is really tough. sometimes i photograph cool friends who create deliciously edible masterpieces. i am tempted by the scent of freshly-baked cookies and candy-coated sprinkles for hours. occasionally, i'm forced to taste test. feel bad for me yet? (didn't think so)

take a little looksy at my friend, jennifer, and her amaaaaaazing talent.

 full story coming soon!

{my list: august}

first things first...can someone please tell me how on earth it is august?! i think my brain is stuck somewhere in 2007.

these are the things topping the charts right now...

• west elm - imagine walking into a crate & barrel store...can you see all those clean lines and trendy accessories? now try to picture everything getting a little softer. more muted. a bit more lived in. dare i say the prices are even a little more fabulous? too bad they don't have a gift registry. (le sigh)
  
• coffee - i'm having a lot of trouble being a "morning person" these days, so i've developed this strange habit of frequenting starbucks...usually on my lunch break.  random, i know. coffee is generally preferred in the morning, but i find an afternoon treat to be a nice break in my day. i was even offered a job there last week (true story). over the past few months i've savored a handful of mocha coconut frappuccinos. i've guzzled down a passion tea lemonade or two. and i've relied on enough non-fat, no whip white mochas to keep a small army alert. *you know you have reached a new level of addiction when your drink is that anal specific* and have you seen their new bistro boxed lunches?! holy cow, people. they are worth every delicious penny. 

• fruit popsicles - what's the single best way to combat all this summer heat? delicious fruit freezer pops, of course! nom nom nom.
• trader joe's - my love for tj's (you see, we're using nicknames already) started on a trip to tennessee a few years ago. i needed to kill some time before a friend returned home. i wandered into their friendly store-front and never looked back. i came out with my arms fully loaded. i could seriously swim in a pool of their roasted red pepper hummus...scoop up every $8.99 potted orchid (crazy cheap)...and cook meals with their delicious food every day. it's pretty funny when my list of "where to live" specifications includes a tj's within 15 miles.

 

• almond everything - let's face it, almonds are the new soybean. i'm a bit slow getting on the almond bandwagon, but i've been testing out some yummy almond goodness as of late. almond milk,  almond butter,  almond oil infused body wash (is that excessive? perhaps).
• hall & oates - i might be the single reason this video will exceed 4 million hits this month. gotta love that 80's hair.

xo

{nicole}

if you live in the midwest, you know it's been h-o-t this summer. i'm not a weather girl (although sometimes i want to be...that's besides the point), but maybe these blazing hot days are balancing out the brutal winter we experienced. it's days like today when a farmer's almanac would come in handy...anything to give me a clue on how to dress for the day so i'm somewhat comfortable. sweating through every layer of clothing while i go on my lunch break, then shivering in the breeze of my office air conditioning is no longer acceptable. (great mental picture, right?)

with all the blistering heat and humidity, i still believe i photograph the most patient people in the world. just look how beautiful this girl is! i think it was 92 billion degrees (honestly) and she was still working the camera.

enjoy the lingering hours of your day by looking at lovely miss nicole...