holiday in bellingham {personal}

in ,

i spent thanksgiving and the first part of chanukah in bellingham with my family. as chaotic as it is to have all of us together, i wouldn't have missed this trip for the world. it took us 9 hours to drive there from corvallis because of the weather - reason #1,000,000,000 why i am not a snow person. but at least we had a day to play in it before it melted away like it had never been there at all!

i was the lame one who took pictures while my sisters and the pups raced about. they tried to get me to have a snowball fight and i ran away squealing like the grinch i truly am.

i have some beautiful sisters!

[caption id="attachment_812" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="my parents"][/caption]

one of the nicest parts of the trip were the walks my little sister and i would take with our dogs.

i'll end the post with a cute chalk drawing from a bookstore in fairhaven - it pretty much sums up what the holidays are about for me. even if you've got family drama (show me someone who has a perfect drama-free holiday - i don't believe it exists!), move past it. spend time with the ones you love. don't get too hung up on what things are "supposed" to be like - just remember what matters.

i hope everyone has a wonderful, wonderful holiday and many blessings in the new year.

i <3 cupcakes {cooking}

in , ,

let me preface this by saying i am by no means a baking expert. i love unique cupcakes, and i love cooking, so i wanted to try a few recipes and see how i did! my friend kate and i made 4 different kinds of cupcakes, and even though they aren't as good as my favorite (rocket queen - if you are in the corvallis/albany area, try them immediately, they are addictive), they'll make nice chanukah presents for my dear family. [caption id="attachment_780" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption=""red" velvet with buttercream frosting // flourless chocolate with cream cheese frosting"][/caption]

the first recipe was for red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting (modified from ming makes cupcakes). My dad hates red food coloring, so I used beet juice, which turned the cupcakes into "purple velvet". still pretty!

the flourless chocolate cupcakes (recipe from ming makes cupcakes) were amazing! the batter was so good that i barely even wanted to bake them. if i use this recipe again, i will fill the cups more - they are a bit flat. the recipe calls for fresh whipped cream to serve - but i'm waiting to try that until i get them to my parents' house in bellingham on wednesday.

[caption id="attachment_781" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="pumpkin's pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting"][/caption]

i can't remember where i found the pumpkin cupcakes recipe - but it sure is delicious. i would add a lot less honey, however - they are almost too sweet for me. the frosting also calls for powdered cactus honey (which i have never heard of, and decided not to bother with). i also used rice flour for this recipe instead of wheat flour.

i used the same cream cheese frosting recipe for the pumpkin cakes as for the carrot cupcake recipe (also from ming makes cupcakes, and might i add, the very best cream cheese frosting ever). i am shamelessly plugging ming's site because a) the recipes are delicious and b) there are very few ingredients, which i always appreciate.

[caption id="attachment_782" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="carrot cupcakes, unfrosted"][/caption]

i used rice flour instead of regular flour for the carrot cupcakes as well.

[caption id="attachment_783" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting"][/caption]

i am a big fan of homemade presents. fun to make, fun to give, and from the heart. i'm heading to my parents' house on wednesday for a much-anticipated mini-vacation during thanksgiving and the first night of chanukah. happy holidays, everyone! <3

"there are [still] bigger problems" {Corvallis}

in ,

This graffiti has made an appearance on a couple of my senior sessions for the studio, in downtown Corvallis. Sometimes I just need to say it over and over. I've got questions like:

How do I get by in this world, and try to be kind to others and to myself? How can I grow as an artist and navigate this jungle that is the photography business? How can I be realistic as I continue my artistic education through practice and learning from others who are more knowledgeable? Will I EVER be good, instead of passable?!

But there are bigger problems. And I need to keep saying that. Because all of this? It's just the beginning. And I don't have to be perfect now or ever. But I do need to remember that complaining and wishing won't get me anywhere. Only continuing to work, and learn, and grow, will.

So whoever made this, thanks. Because I know I'm not the only one to have seen it, but I certainly did benefit from it.