I find myself inspired by the creations of those around me (in life and online) and have decided to start this blog in an attempt to channel this rediculous creative itch that I have.
Miss Molly is not quite okay with the new puppy having full access to her collection of toys. Frequently, I'll catch her with them all in a pile, guarding them.
After a particularly exhausting attempt to steal the toys, Rex found a comfy place beside the chair.
For the second part of her senior picture shoot, Kaitlin decided she wanted to head to Norfolk Botanical Gardens.
If you live in the Hampton Roads area and appreciate horticulture on any level, this venue is a must-see. I've only been here a handful of times but I can assure you, its never the same experience as before. There's always something new to see.
Here's just a taste of the ammmmmazing shots I was able to get of this gorgeous girl!
This girl is a trooper. She was willing to do anything I asked and let me tell you, I had her hiking hither and yon. There are just soooo many great places to shoot at the Botanical Gardens. I definitely recommend them!
My boss at my previous employer asked if I would take senior pictures of his daughter. I happily jump at any opportunity to stretch my photographic skills so of course I agreed!
She decided to do a two-part session, the first half at Chix Beach.
These are a few of the shots from the day. Kaitlin is such a beautiful girl, she certainly made my job very easy!
Saute chopped onion in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and continue to saute until no longer pink inside.
Using two forks, carefully pull apart (or shred) chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Add cream cheese and dust with garlic powder. Stir occasionally until cream cheese is melted and chicken is evenly covered.
Layer a small handful of spinach in the middle of tortilla. Using a large serving spoon, add about two scoops of chicken mixture on top of spinach. Roll, and place in 9x13 baking dish, seam side down.
For the sauce that I added on top, I combined half of a container of cream cheese with enough chicken broth to get a nice, runny sauce. About the consistency of a thin ranch dressing.
Pour on top of the enchiladas and add shredded Mexican Style cheese.
At this point I poured some of the extra chicken broth around the enchiladas so that they didn't dry out. Just enough that you can see it all around the enchiladas.
Bake at 350 until cheese has melted and edges of tortillas start to brown.
Delicious, quick, easy, and if you use low-fat, fat-free, and sodium free ingredients, not too bad for you.
One piece of advice that I wished someone had shared with me prior to my engagement, is that when you share your ideas for your wedding with others, you open the door and invite them to share their opinions of your ideas. And also, to share their own ideas for your wedding.
What I never realized is exactly how many women have been planning my wedding for years. Many of these women were at it loooooonng before they had ever met me. Some had every detail ironed out, even before I myself was prancing around my parents' home with a pillow case on my head, envisioning the magical day that I would one day walk down the aisle toward my very own Prince Charming.
And ladies, let me tell you, the weddings they've planned in their minds are not any where close to the day I'm envisioning. Not close at all.
Now, if you are the kind of bride-to-be who needs a little help (or a lot) then you have a bevy of women who are already a mile ahead of you to lend a hand with the planning. You can breathe a sigh of relief.
But if you're like me, and have even the smallest detail planned, this "help" can come as quite a shock.
I know that my engagement and early wedding planning phase would have been so much more pleasant and enjoyable if I had only known what I was getting myself into. If only I had been aware of the number of women who were ready and willing to plan my day for me. That there were even a few who expected me to let them plan my day for me. Which for me, is not what I wanted.
And so ladies, I hope your experience is very different from mine. I hope no one ever tells you your ideas are bad or wrong. I hope you never recieve "no" as a response to your "wouldn't it be great if...". I hope your family/friends/future in-laws are supportive and encouraging. But if you think you might recieve the responses that I did, I encourage you to keep the details between you and your wedding planner (if you have one).
