Summer 2011
Baby Hayley and her big sister…
Big sister Kirsten had her newborn session at the studio 2 years before. Now she was the big helper for Hayley’s photo session. How time flies!!
I think Fridays might be the hardest day to blog…and this is why it’s always been hard for me to blog. I can’t narrow things down. It’s hard for me to choose just one or two images to share from a whole session. I feel like we need to sit down, have a latte and let me give you a play by play of all the cute things that happened and all the gorgeous images I shot this week. Instead you get sentence fragments…
The excitement of discovering a dandelion for the first time..
The lovely fields in Long Beach…
and 2 new babies this week…a 5 day old little doll…
and a 5 week old adorable premie…
I’m gearing up for a busy fall season that’s already in full swing! On top of doing family portraits, capturing kids being kids and documenting brand new babies, I also do some commercial work. My schedule for this changes quickly, so I need to work with models that have flexible schedules. Here’s where you come in…I need to have a few size 4 and 5 girl models that are willing and able to come play dress up and have fun with me on a weekday morning (in October). If you have a child or know of someone who would fit the bill, please have them email me a snapshot to info@kristineldridge.com. Again, the schedule is flexible, so I might get a shipment of clothing and need to book models for that same week, so I’d only have several days’ notice. You will receive a CD of the high resolution images that I take the day of the photo session.
Here’s a few past lines I’ve photographed…
Oilily
Paper Wings
Elaine et Lena
Blue Pony Vintage
Stella McCartney Kids
I have a few big pr0jects coming down the pipe at the beginning of October, so I wanted to add a few more size 4/5 models to the handful of fabulous models I already work with!
Every time we see my friend Allyson she has on this adorable cream beanie. She says it’s great for bad hair days, but hello…wouldn’t you wear this hat every day!?
I finally got around to asking her where it was from and low and behold– her friend KNITS THEM. She designed the pattern and has a million other cute knitted things. Like gloves and headbands and bowties and such! Here’s a link to her etsy store: McLaughlin Designs
I had beanie-envy, so I bought one. And can I say, I’ve worn it almost every day since. It fits perfectly…and I can’t wait for those cold weather days here in SoCal where it will actually feel good to have my head be all warm and cozy.
I had Allyson snap a few pictures of me in my new hat. Love the color. Go to Elisa’s store and buy a pattern or have her custom make you one! Oh and on a tangent– I’m lost in front of the camera. I kept telling Allyson to direct me. I don’t know where to look or where to put my hands. Gah. But, all to show you my amazing new beanie. Go buy one.
Oh and Elisa has a blog too…like me, she has more than one passion. So, you’ll hear about her new knitting projects, recipes and her adorable children. Elisa’s Blog She also makes a serious latte, but that’s another story for another day!
With summer quickly disappearing in the rear view mirror, I think we all have fall food on our mind. Soup seems to hit the spot when you’re craving something comforting and it’s warm-you-to-your-toes good. I started making broccoli cheese soup when I found a recipe in my cooking light magazine…maybe 10 years ago. Here’s the link to the recipe: Cooking Light Broccoli Cheese Soup If you’re counting calories, it’s great. But it has velveeta in it. And there’s just something about velveeta that makes me not want to serve it to my kids. Sorry, velveeta.
Fast forward to last Christmas and picture me soaking wet after riding Thunder Mountain at Disneyland in sheets of rain. I decided to take the kids to the park one rainy day over Christmas break and we left after hours of rainy fun and were shivering the whole way home. I decided to try Panera Bread’s version of Broccoli Cheese Soup that night and switched over immediately. Yes, it has more calories and fat. But, in this case…it’s worth it.
It has become a fan favorite at our dinner table. And when the kids ask me to make it, I’m happy to feed them a whole bowl of this:
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 lb fresh broccoli
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/panera-broccoli-cheese-soup-150384#ixzz1Z4fdfL27
I like the soup to be a little creamier instead of chunky, so I use my emulsifier hand blender.
Fall 2010
The weather was still balmy…so warm that the sweaters might have been a little uncomfortable. But, having a new puppy seemed to distract a little!
I love a good close up…especially in black and white.
I recently read a quote that said, “I don’t want to survive– I want to thrive.” To be honest with you, this week was not a week of thriving. It was survival. It was photo sessions every day, sometimes two…lots of designing albums and planning for future shoots. I’ve said it before, but this week drug me by my hair! I am taking a little time this weekend to take a breather and start off this next week a little better than the last!
So, here’s what I was up to…
Another fun weekend at Rascals to Rebels!
Attention photographers: I’m selling this backdrop for $100…email me (info@kristineldridge.com) if you’re interested!
Oh and then there were the one year olds! I think I lost a pound this week running after one year olds!!
And some ADORRRABLE family sessions!
Cheers to a great weekend and an even better week ahead!
Kristin
Wow. Can I just say that you guys are amazing! I put out a few ideas and boom. You jump right on board. You book a session, tell your friends and they book sessions. Everybody’s pumped…they’re planning and shopping and getting everything ready. And you know what, that fuels my fire like no ones business. My wheels are turning and I’m already thinking of what’s next.
I bought this gold velvet settee about a month ago off Craigslist. Since then it’s been siting in my garage and every time I pull my car in, I get excited just thinking about all the gorgeous images we’re going to make. I can’t wait!!
Here’s some more images that I took with my own kids on the settee out in the woods. LOVE.
I’m also really into the texture that’s created when I convert to black and white!
Oh and I’m selling my fall backdrop…$100 and sold to the first person that wants it! It measures about 53″ by 57″
Color is something I tend to shy away from…especially in the main living area of our house. I just don’t know what to do with it and how a variety of colors can happily live together! When I walked into my friend Heather’s house for the first time, I felt YES. THIS. This is how lots of different colors coexist…and it’s not overwhelming or obnoxious. It’s PERFECT. So, I asked Heather if I could stop by and snap some pictures to share with you on the blog. I hope it inspires you to use color if you don’t already!
I actually met Heather one day when she showed up at my house to buy a chair I sold on Craigslist. Of course the chair was bright turquoise! We ran into each other again at church and our daughters are the same age…so we struck up a friendship. A lot of what Heather uses is vintage found at thrift stores and on Craiglist. I love thrifty girls!
I think part of what makes the colors in her living area mesh so well together is the clean slate of white walls and the neutral couch. It balances out all the colorful accents.
I also love the way she uses photography as art in the home. TO PERFECTION.
Oh and this wallpaper! My friend Laura his it in her house too. It has me itching to put up some wallpaper in my house!
…so modern yet vintage at the same time. I hope this inspires you to thrift and find color!
Sep
20
This is one of my most favorite things to make…and eat! I grew up in Montana and having an avacado was a huge treat. I remember thinking that the green mush looked pretty disgusting and my parents would respond with…great, more for us! When I finally got around to trying it, I was hooked. Now, I can’t have Mexican food without it.
The absolute best version of guac that I’ve tried comes from Lottie and Doof. (a food blog I stumbled upon…check out their mac and cheese too!)
- 4 haas avocados
- 1/4-1/2 red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup diced red onion)
- Bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 2 limes
- 1/2 habanero/serrano chile, stemmed and seeded (depending on how hot you want it you can add seeds)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper
The best chips to eat with this are the blue corn tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s. They are so salty…and the perfect hearty chip to stand up to the guacamole.
And since you’ve bought limes, you should go ahead and make limeade. We have a lemon tree, so my kids are lemonade making pros. I suggested swapping limes in for the lemons and it was phenomenal!
