Spring 2010
It was so rainy and windy, we had to duck in for shelter in the cars a few times. You wouldn’t know it from the bright cheery spring colors. But, we were determined to make it work!
I’m packing up again for Rascals to Rebels this weekend…this time the Huntington Beach store. Last weekend was amazing. So many cute kids, so many cute outfits. I mean these parents BRING IT.
I also got to photograph several adorable little boys who braved the heat with me!
I also photographed a big extended family and all their kids…here are some of the sweet girls from that photo session…
And finally one of the cutest pregnant girls I’ve ever met. Seriously, so cute.
To give you all an update on the holiday mini-sessions…17 spots were filled in the day and a half after I sent it out to my mailing list. Can I just say, my clients are awesome! Last year the ivy wall was super popular, but this year people are gravitating toward the other locations. So, I made the executive decision to cancel the ivy wall and replace it with another session at the field in Long Beach. So, tonight I’m opening up sign ups for October 4 at 4:40-6:10 (the golden hour!) Here are some more pictures from that location: (as you can see this location has a huge variety of backdrops!)
I also have openings at downtown Long Beach on September 29 (4:00-4:20 and 4:20-4:20). All other locations are filled with a waiting list…
I love this location so much! It has the perfect amount of grunge to contrast with a fancy little outfit…I also loooove the velvet chair against the bricks. LOVE.
Okay and the painted buildings…so cute. The perfect pop of color! I only have 2 spots left at this location, so give me a call or email if you want to book!
I love a nicely made piece of clothing. There’s just something about the fit, the quality of materials used and attention to detail. But, sometimes you just can’t justify plunking down a bunch of cash and that’s where bargain hunting comes in! There are so many stores out there that have made themselves a name by knocking off pricey labels. (Hello, Target.)
The key to a good knock-off is simplicity. I don’t need the look-alike WITH a giant embroidered flower added on. Here’s the perfect example…boots. Jillian is rough on her shoes. I was considering spending money on a cute pair of leather boots for fall, when I stumbled on these from Old Navy.
I got them online about 2 weeks ago and they were marked down to $15. Now, they aren’t real leather, but you really can’t tell. I could have spent much more, but then I would have been heartbroken after she scuffed up the leather the next day. These work perfect for how much we wear boots in southern CA. My favorite thing is the hot pink zipper up the back. It’s enough detail to add interest without making them look cheap.
My other favorite thing as of lately is this H&M fur vest. At $15, I won’t be sad if it’s out of style next fall. She loves layering it over everything from tees to dresses. It’s so Rachel Zoe!
Speaking of clothes…I just wrote a little article for Tiny Oranges about what to wear for your family pictures! Tiny Oranges is a gem of a site with every day tips for moms. Love that! And here’s Jillian in my favorite new boots and fur vest…
Sep
13
This is one of those simple recipes that takes up about 15 minutes in the kitchen. Once you make it, you become a little addicted and as my friend Lori puts it, her husband ‘can’t go without his granola’!
Look at all this good stuff that goes into it…
You basically combine all your dry ingredients in one bowl, combine all the wet ingredients in another…then put the two together! Put it on 2 baking sheets and use a silpat if you have them. It will help with clean up! Bake it for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes so it cooks evenly. After it cools you can add raisins, or if you’re grossed out by raisins like I am, you can add chopped dried bing cherries from Trader Joe’s.
Click here to the link to this recipe: Alton’s Granola
My kids come home from school famished, so I like to have healthy snacks on hand. For a fancy little snack, I make parfaits with plain yogurt, in season peaches, honey and this can’t-stop-eating-it-granola. Of course it’s good with milk too for breakfast. And I may have been known to grab a handful when I don’t feel like making myself lunch!
Fall of 2010…they took off all pressure and expectations. “Just whatever you want to do…you’re the expert. We don’t mind of they’re not looking at the camera smiling…just capture them playing.” Those are the best kinds of sessions. Life unfolds and it’s always beautiful.
This week was full of…
gorgeous sunset lighting. happy one year olds. kisses from mommy.
sweet smelling newborn hair. cuddles. more mommy kisses.
a trip to Balboa island for the first time. sister hugs. all kinds of colorful dingies.
another brand new baby girl. more love from a big sister. cuddled up like a bug.
AND a first day of school!
Okay friends…I’ve been working days and days on coming up with the perfect balance of new ideas for holiday mini-sessions. Don’t worry, I’m bringing back a few favorites too! The mini-sessions will take place on five different dates at five different locations. The times will be based on when the lighting works best for that specific location. The cost will be $100 (plus tax) for the session fee.
You can call (562)980-6480 or email info@kristineldridge.com to book your session!
The first will take place in Long Beach at a location I just found that has AMAZING fall foliage and the perfect sunset lighting.
September 19 (20 minute sessions) 5:20-6:40
The next location is downtown Long Beach. I found this location while headed somewhere else and had to go back because the buildings were stunning!
September 29 (20 minute sessions) 4:00-5:20
Next Thursday I’ll highlight the other locations. The dates will be October 4, 10 and 22.
If a project cannot be completed in 2 hours or less, it will not be finished. That’s why I’ve never taken up knitting, cross-stitching, recipes involving overnight processes, etc. I stick things with quick results. SO, interior projects don’t get done. I start something and get distracted. But, not this summer. No this summer, I decided to conquer the kids’ rooms.
I started with Jillian’s room because she has less stuff and I like girly things better. When we moved into the house 3 years ago, she was a toddler and loved everything pink. The room was a wash of pale pinks and little bits of green. I loved it, but there wasn’t much going on. She just turned seven, so we were thinking it was time to liven up the colors a little bit and make the room more age appropriate.
The first thing we did was choose colors. They were based off the pillows on the bed, which I found at Room Service. I like to have one splurgey thing in the room that sets the tone. Everything else can pretty much be found on Craigslist or secondhand.
The trundle bed is from Craigslist and it’s just the shabby chic part of me that I can’t get rid of. I like girly things! So, Laura helped me choose colors that would venture away from the shabby and into something a little more modern. We painted the bed gray and kept the walls white for contrast.
The dresser is a mini armoire wardrobe that I bought before Jillian was even born at a thrift store in the bay area. It was in her room before, but I had painted it pale pink, distressed it and kept the original wood hardware. In the make-over it got painted a citron yellow and fancied up with rhinestone hardware.
Her chandelier is a cheapy from Home Depot and that stayed from the original room!
This wall was fun to put together. I did a mini photo shoot with Jillian and tried to incorporate the colors of her room. We used some of the photos in frames I had bought at Home Goods and spray painted white. I made a few graphic prints to mix in and the zinc letter J is from Anthropologie. The barnwood is scrap from one of my recent backdrops and I hot glued starfish from the shell store in Seal Beach to the front.
Jillian likes to collect things, so I got her this oversized piece of pottery from an estate sale and spray painted it white. It keeps all the not-so-pretty things she finds all tucked away!
Her favorite story books are nestled between elephant book ends that I found at Home Goods. It’s the perfect little pop of color for the top of the dresser.
And by the way…all her toys are organized in bins in the closet behind where I’m taking the photos. The room is tiny, but the perfect amount of space for a little girl!
If you follow me on twitter, you know this week I was talking about eating edamame risotto leftovers for lunch and YUM…it was good. I had never made risotto, but I do watch Top Chef enough to know that it’s a slow process and it should not be dry! This is a side note, but I feel like risotto has been one of those popular dishes on menus at restaurants and a dish that foodies pride themselves on making well. I was thinking this week about how each generation is defined by their food. Dishes they’re known for. Our moms mastered meatloaf and their moms had fancy jello molds with fruit cocktail and weird stuff like shredded carrots floating about. I wonder if our kids will say, pffft…risotto…icky wet rice.
Anyway, risotto. There’s no real recipe. You start by simmering some chicken stock in a pot, then in a different pot saute onion and arborio rice (can be found at Trader Joe’s…among other places) until toasty. Start adding the broth (don’t let it boil) little by little until each bit is absorbed. I was adding it about 1/2 cup at a time. If you cook it too long, it will be dry. And the next thing you know Wolfgang Puck will be coming back to the kitchen to give you a quick lesson. 🙂
You can add a little white wine along with the chicken stock. When it’s nice and creamy and the rice is cooked, you’ll be done. It takes about 25-30 minutes total. Then you get to add the fun stuff. Like, oh, a huge pile of freshly grated parmesan. A big handful of edamame will balance that out. Season with salt and pepper and you’re done.
I added a little tossed salad for dinner that night. I was trying to re-create something I ate at my friend Allyson’s house. I cut up some granny smith apple, red onion, toasted almond slices and diced dried bing cherries. Dress with the best salad dressing ever and you’re good to go!
Over ten years ago, we lived in Solvang and they only had one market, Nielsen’s. It was an adorable little gourmet market and that was where I was first introduced to Brianna’s salad dressings. It’s a little confusing with the strawberry on the front. It’s actually blush wine vinaigrette, not strawberry. Anywhoo, it’s awesome. As in best ever. And I saw it at Allyson’s with her amazing salad the other night, so I thought I’d mention it here!