I’ve been photographing them both pretty much since they came out of their mama’s tummy. And it just keeps getting better! I love seeing these brothers grow. Life is sweet, my friends!
Apr
12
2013
Cloth napkins are such an easy thing to make. I’m not sure why I haven’t done it before, but Easter was the perfect excuse to whip some up! All you need is a light-weight fabric. Cut the fabric into 21″ squares. You can either pin all 4 sides into a hem, or you can pin a side, then sew it and repeat. Either way, you’ll end up with a hem around all 4 sides of the square. Iron that square and you’re done! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
//photography by Kristin Eldridge at my home in Long Beach
Photographing babies is always special, but photographing the baby of someone you know is the icing on the cake. And, when that baby is over-the-top cute and so cooperative you have to keep checking that she’s a real baby, you just pinch yourself!
Here’s Baby Kendall and all the hats, baskets and blankets she modeled for me!
Apr
08
2013
No-Knead Bread? That tastes amazing? Sign me up! My mom taught me this recipe a few summers ago and I’ve seen the No-Knead pizza dough floating around online and pretty much every where! I made it here, so check it out if you want to see how this translates to pizza.
No Knead Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl (covered with a towel) to sit for 12-18 hours. This is where the magic happens! Pour the mixture into an oiled cast iron skillet and bake it (at 450) covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes more.
One of my recent photo sessions was triplet head shots for their agency, Zuri Model and Talent.
Here are the boys…
When identical boys like this are booked, the agency will want them to look as similar as possible in the photos. They will typically get cast for one role, so they want to be able to double for each other!
Cuteness runs in this family, because the boys’ sister is a stunner and she’s also modeling with Zuri!
Apr
06
2013
Have you tried making a zippered pillow yet? Here’s the tutorial. If you can master the pillow, then you can make a zippered clutch! All you need is a 24″x14″ piece of fabric and a zipper. I got this fabric at Dorell in Fountain Valley. They have an amazing selection of woven fabrics and the prices are decent.
Start by sewing your zipper to short end of the fabric (right sides together). Pull up the other short side and sew the zipper to the other side (right sides together). Now you have a loop of fabric, connected by a zipper. The trick to sewing a zipper is using a light weight zipper and pulling up the needle to let the zipper head move to the other side, so you can keep sewing (and not run over it). Trim the end of your zipper after you’ve attached it.
Now sew the other two sides of the fabric (right sides together). Don’t forget to open the zipper a little so you can turn it right side out.
Iron the corners and top stitch the sides of the zipper. Done!
//photography by Kristin Eldridge in Long Beach
‘Making the decision to have a child- it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go outside your body.’
-Elizabeth Stone
Oh how I love to see first time parents. These tiny little bundles change them. Life will never be the same and you never knew you could love someone so much!
//newborn photography at my studio in Long Beach, CA
Apr
01
2013
We started off this week with a full table and ended up with an even fuller table! Monday night was a big pot of white bean chili with some family and friends…
Later in the week, I was working on a dip-dyed project for the blog. So, my sink was filled with pink dye! It turned out really cute, I can’t wait to share with you guys.
I did some location scouting last week and found this little gem. If I like the iPhone capture, I know it’s going to be off-the-hook-awesome with my real camera!
Brent had Friday morning off, so we started off the morning at Starling (LOVE this Long Beach breakfast spot), and then looked for an outfit for him to wear Easter morning. Of course I have no photos of what he actually wore, but he told me he liked this mannequin look, so I snapped it for future reference. Mixed prints for the win!
Speaking of Brent, have you notice how many skating pictures we’ve been posting!? Our friends put a ramp in their backyard and Brent has been teaching the boys to skate. It’s been fun and I’m secretly hoping this new hobby doesn’t end with any broken bones!
Saturday. I was a little stressed to start the day. I had a LOT to do. Then, my friend asked me to go to boot camp on the beach. I decided the to-do list could wait and I got my work out on instead. Everything got accomplished and my legs felt like jello the next day!
We open Easter baskets on Saturday, because Sundays tend to be crazy busy around here. My kids still get excited and the contents are super simple! Usually everyone gets shoes, a new Easter outfit, a bathing suit, a movie and a TINY bit of candy. This year I could find the big sand buckets, so everything got scrunched inside the small ones.
Saturday also involved making cinnamon rolls for the morning and arranging flowers for the tables. So, here’s my dough hanging out with all those flowers.
Brent had to leave at 7:30am on Sunday and doesn’t get home until almost 1:00, so I had to enlist these three helpers to get me set up for all 21 (!!!) of us for lunch. They were awesome and did everything from set the table to making lemonade for our guests. And they’re exceptionally cute!!
I ended the week with a full heart. I love my family and friends and it means a lot when we can all celebrate our risen Savior together! Oh and if you want to hear Brent’s message from Sunday, it’s on the church website- click here.
Mar
30
2013
Can we talk about carbs for a sec? They’re best homemade. I can pass by pretty much anything that comes from a grocery store, but if you bring me your freshly baked cookies, pie or bread? Done. I can gain 5 pounds on that stuff.
Homemade pasta is no exception. It’s a simple combination of flour, eggs and water, but once kneaded and thrown into a bath of boiling water, it’s carb-a-licous! Homemade pasta sings on it’s own, so a simple sauce is all it needs. In this case it’s tomatoes, basil and garlic. Scroll all the way down to see the recipe.
Pasta: (Makes 6 servings)
2 cups flour
2 eggs
You can click here to see photos of making pasta. It involves a big heap of flour with a well in the middle. Put your eggs and a few tablespoons of water in the well. Use a fork to toss and toss until the dough gets to the point that you can knead it. It will be a dry dough, so use your muscles!
If you have a pasta roller, push the dough into flat ovals that you can push through the roller. You’ll want to run the machine at thinner settings until you get the consistency you like. I ran it through a level 5 then once again through the cutter to make the spaghetti.
*On a side note, I LOVE my kitchen aid attachment. It’s so easy to use and pretty much fool proof!
Sauce:
4-5 ripe tomatoes
3-4 basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
This is a rough estimate for the sauce. Make adjustments according to your tastes. The key is to let it sit for at least an hour for the flavors to meld and add salt and pepper to taste.
More spring mini-sessions coming up! The wildflowers are starting pop up here and there, so by mid-April they’ll be perfect for photo sessions. I’m going to wait until the week before to pick the exact location (to see which of my favorites has the best flower growth), but it will be in Long Beach, Seal Beach or Huntington Beach.
Here’s the details: $100 for a 20 minute session The first 2 to sign up for April 20 and the first 2 to sign up for April 21 will get a free digital image with their purchase. [info@kristineldridge.com or 562.980.6480]
April 20 5:40-6:00, 6:00-6:20, 6:20-6:40, 6:40-7:00
April 21st 5:40-6:00, 6:00-6:20, 6:20-6:40, 6:40-7:00
As you can see, the times are in the evening, because there’s just nothing better than sunset lighting in a field of long grass and wildflowers! This could be a great Mother’s Day gift or think ahead for Father’s Day!
