REMINDER:  The canvas sale ends at midnight on Saturday (actually, more like 10 pm because I will be in bed, lol!). So if you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time to call me!

It’s been really DAMP and cold here all week – ok, not Pittsburgh cold, but still. That kind of weather really gets me in the mood for some good comfort food, and I have been cooking some of my favorites and thought I would share a few with you. Yesterday I tried a new recipe that is seriously going on my list of favorites. It’s good enough for company,  makes A LOT so you can easily freeze half for another meal (gotta love the 2-for-1 cooking time), and it’s easy. We are soup lovers, so even better. Use your food processor for the chopping & this goes together really fast!

SMOKED SALMON WHISKEY CHOWDER

1/4 c butter

2 onions, finely chopped

6 stalks of celery, finely chopped

6 small red or white potatoes, peeled and diced (2-3 cups)

1/2 c chopped fresh fennel bulb (i omitted – didnt have any)

2 c milk

2 – 8oz bottles of clam juice (in cocktail mixer section)

2 1/2 c corn kernels

1 c heavy cream

4 T tomato paste

1 lb smoked salmon, cut into small pieces (i used 8 oz – it’s expensive – i thought it was just right, but if you prefer a stronger taste use more)

juice & zest of 1 lemon

1/4 c chopped fresh dill

2 oz Jack Daniels (essential – the flavor really pops after you add this!)

salt & pepper to taste

* Melt butter in lg stock pot, & saute onions & celery over med heat till softened. Add potatoes & fennel & saute briefly before pouring in milk & clam juice. Cover & simmer on low/med until potatoes are soft, @20 min (mine took 30). Add corn, cream, tomato paste; cook 5 minutes. Add salmon, lemon juice & zest, dill, & whiskey. Salt & pepper to taste. Mine was thick, and we like it that way – if you want it a little “soupier” decrease the corn & potatoes.

Here is a great idea for those of you that had your children photographed recently by me – Photo Valentines!

Each design is sized at 2×3 inches – so that you can print TWO on one 4×6 print and cut them apart.  With the cost of 4×6 prints at your local photo developer at like 12 cents, you can afford to have fun!  The possibilities are endless – they can be pasted onto pretty cardstock for a bookmark, or tied to a pencil or lollipop if you want to go even farther.  The digital file with your child’s Casual Moments photo inserted is $20; I can email it to you as soon as payment is received. Call or email me now!

I need two of these for my small guest baths…it holds 3 sets of bath towels and washcloths. They also make them to hold two sets, and that would be ok too…I’ve only found them online but there is a $10 s/h for each. I’ve looked around here but no luck. Have you seen them in a store?

truly amazing…I gasped out loud at some of these! I always thought “lucky” was getting that perfect smile as a children’s photographer!

I’m a little behind on posting sessions on the blog, but this one just melts my heart. I’ve been photographing Ethan since he was three and I can’t believe how fast he’s growing! His mom brings him to me every year and gets a Storybook, so it’s really fun for her to have a collection of albums that captures his look and personality over the years as he grows. This year he just blew me away with how confident he is, and his new big-boy-non-fake smile is just dazzling!

I have wanted a picture of my whole family for ages. Really, I’ll bet you’re wondering why it took so long, right? How hard could it be for a photographer to snap a pic ? Let me just say, I have a real respect for the planning & commitment that is involved. It is very difficult for every single one of us to be together at the same time, and when it happens we are usually on a pretty tight schedule. Factor in trying to plan clothing choices that people have to remember to pack before they travel, trying to predict the weather, throw in a few small children, throw in some distracted son-in-laws, and well – you can start to see why this took 6 months and one previous failed attempt. But I am thrilled with what I got, it really is “us” and you can bet that I’m taking advantage of the canvas sale I talked about in my last post. This is going HUGE in a metallic canvas in my new house!

It’s cold enough that we are all spending lots of time cozying up inside our homes…if you are anything like me, that means that I’m in the rearranging – decorating mood.  So I’ve got some great news! My canvas supplier is offering a SALE on larger canvas prints! I’m sure you know how much I love canvas prints because they are everywhere in my home, lol. This is a perfect chance to replace that stock print you have with real,  custom art of the most beautiful and unique subject you ever saw – your family! There will never be a better time than now to go ahead & get your favorite image BIG.  I love the way that I can use canvases to accomplish two goals – decorate my home with custom art so that it looks finished, cozy, and upscale AND preserve the images of my children and grandchildren that I love. Sure beats that picture of a sailboat that I used to have over my mantle that everyone else had too! And the other advantage is that they don’t need to be framed, which as you know, costs more than the print!

Anyway, here’s the deal, good until February 1 on any purchased image from your completed & invoiced session from 2008 : 16×20 $225, 20×24 $285, 15×20 storyboard canvas $325

Here’s a picture of the Storyboard canvas of Jim & I that I have over a guest bed:

And a little closer look :

Still trying to get the hang of this WordPress blog….I’m going to practice uploading lots of images! This is a Storybook design for a favorite repeat client that had a winter session in PA. I love the scarves and layers, and I really love the images of the kids snuggling with Mom & Dad! This is a great session to share as a storybook, because there were so many good images.

And the first one is my new WordPress blog! I have wanted one for quite awhile in order to show larger images, but was overwhelmed as to how to go about changing over from my old typepad one. Luckily, Pam and Theresa from Blogs Of Photogs were able to help!

So here is my very first new image – I took this of daughter Nicole and her husband Steve when we saw them at Christmas:

Can you guess why they are smiling? And why I’m smiling?
Because we’re going to be grandparents again in early August!