What Have We Done?

For any normal dog, this would look like a perfect setup for a nice meal.

Our dog, on the other hand, is a bit more high maintenance.

So high maintenance that she no longer eats her food out of the bowl.  What self-respecting Yorkie-poo would anyway?  Instead, Milly sits on the edge of the kitchen floor and whines until we pour her bite size hypo-allergenic Royal Canin diet out on the floor.

That's more like it.

I swear we did nothing to bring this on.  She simply up and decided one day that the bowl just wouldn't do.

I guess the little seven pound fur ball is worth it.

Loving my 5D

If you don't mind, I'm gonna take a minute to gloat over my new camera. I was a bit nervous taking it out for my first session yesterday, but I was hoping the higher quality would be worth missing a few shots due to the learning curve. Turns out, there isn't much of a learning curve - just better quality pictures!  

It didn't hurt that I had this sweet thing in front of the camera either.

Click here to see more.

New Toy

I have searched and search for my new camera, and finally, after posting a wanted ad on craigslist, I found the perfect one!  My gently used Canon 5D feels so good in my hands.  Even the click of the shutter button makes my heart go pitter pat!  

Poor Milly is always subjected to these kinds of impromptu photo shoots.

How lucky am I to have this delicious lighting in my backyard every evening?

Can you see how sharp this image is?  I'm thinking this upgrade was totally worth it!

This picture might make her look pitiful - begging to get back inside - but don't let her fool you; this dog wants for nothing.

Summertime, summertime!  I enjoyed some lake time with these lovely ladies today.  Thanks for not giving me a hard time for being such a wimp around the water!

Church Picnic

Last night we met some friends at Stardust Marina to listen to the Retroholics.  This was me branching out into a different kind of live band - they've got nothing on Matthew Perryman Jones or Sara Watkins, but we had a great night with friends for sure.

This evening was the first of what I hope becomes an annual church picnic at Victor Ashe Park.  What fun!  If the storm hadn't chased everyone off, I'm sure the games would have gone late into the night.

I couldn't help but watch this little one with his first ever watermelon.  Notice him looking a little timid here - just checking it out.

Now he's really sinking into it.

There's no turning back now.

Keep your hands off my watermelon!

Somebody please write this down. When I have kids I will need to be reminded that watermelon juice running down the neck and legs is okay.  Just strip them down and remember that the look of wonder on their face upon discovering the watermelon is totally worth it.

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick of Kirkpatrick's Corner.  Stop by and say hello.  Really.  Leave a comment.  We bloggers can't get enough of them.

The highlight of the evening was the pie throwing contest - one in the face of each of three pastors.  Hooray for raising nearly $700 in a matter of minutes.

Here's a screen shot of my new blog.  

I think I'm gonna keep the other one around instead of trying to merge the two so I can start fresh.  The whole "story" thing started to really get on my nerves - probably a little cheesy.  Y'all were so sweet to keep that to yourselves and not crush my attempts at creativity.

You may notice a bit of a price increase.  This is due to better image quality (thanks to the new camera I'm purchasing tomorrow!) and better print quality now that I have upgraded to Smugmug Pro.  If you know of anybody who was thinking of scheduling a session, I will honor my old prices through August 1 - so book fast!  I'm trying to get as much in as I can before school starts up again.  Let me know what you think about the new blog.  There are a few things I'm not totally happy with, but it was a free template, so I can't ask for too much!

In the Kitchen

One of Dad's coworkers brought him some fresh raspberries recently, and I don't know how he resisted eating them on the spot, but he handed them over to me for my baking pleasure - under one condition - that I bring him some of the product!  

After perusing my stacks of cookbooks, I went with Williams-Sonoma's Fresh Raspberry Sour Cream Crumble Cake.

I was so excited to eat it that I didn't even get out my flash for the picture.  And I don't regret it one bit.  Totally worth the low quality picture.  You'll just have to trust me. 

I've been needing a reason to use the cheese knife I bought at the gouda cheese factory in Holland...

...and this recipe gave me the perfect excuse.

Penne with Two Tomatoes and Mozzarella is a super easy summer dish.  Just cook the penne pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.  Cook a pint grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, some garlic, and pasta water until the tomatoes soften.  Add to the pasta with diced mozzarella and snipped chives.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Even better served cold the next day!

KARM Project

I wish I could say I had been thinking for weeks about a way to use photography to do some good, but that's just not the case.  At one point I tried to join Celebrating Adoption, an organization that offers free photo sessions for families who have recently adopted, but they aren't accepting new photographers.  Unfortunately, that was really the last I thought about it.  

About two weeks ago, I was driving down the road and an idea that obviously wasn't my own popped into my head.  I would take credit for it if I thought I could, but there was no thinking involved.  It's like God opened this here brain and just set this whole project in there for me.  I didn't have to brainstorm, plan or connect any dots.  It came as a whole.  But I do need your help.

I'm so excited to be taking family pictures for the people living in KARM's Residential Recovery program.  I hope to provide each family with a framed 8x10 and a photo album of about 20 4x6's.  At first I thought I would do this on my own, but then I found out they house 18 families!  I went to Walmart today to estimate the cost of a good quality frame and album and altogether the cost should be about $20-25 per family.  If you are interested in helping with the cost, just shoot me an email at sarah@sarahcphoto.com.  The volunteer coordinator at KARM is working on the schedule right now, but it should happen sometime mid or late July.  

I know there are so many charitable organizations out there that you might already be committed to, so if you are unable to help financially, I would truly appreciate your prayers that this will be a meaningful and spirit-filled ministry.  I pray that God will reveal himself to each family through this small gift.

Good People

The last two weeks have been packed full of good people.  Friends, family, strangers - all of them, good people.  

Good Person #1: Mom who graciously went with me to Arkansas for the photo fundraiser even though she was just there two weeks before.

Good Person #2: Nana who worked for weeks advertising and scheduling for the fundraiser and had water on hand whenever I needed it.

Good Person #3: Taylor who was the best model I could have asked for.  Click here for my favorites from the weekend.

Good People #4 & 5: Luke and Kristin visiting from Dallas.  I don't know what it would take to get them back here, but we're willing to do anything.  (Apparently I was so exhausted from Arkansas that I forgot how to take a decent picture.)  Hurry back Luke and Kristin so I can take a frameable one!

Good People # 6 & 7: Callie and Makenna for being so darn adorable.

Good Person #8: Angelina for bringing brownie cookies with - are you ready? - chocolate chips melted on top.  You can make those for me anytime!

Good People # 9 & 10: Andrew for running all over town before get-togethers that I haven't planned well, and Kenny for entertaining Andrew the entire weekend I was gone.

While the house was already clean, I decided to have my family over for the European celebration - only about a month late!  The menu included champagne straight from the Moulin Rouge and a crepe bar.  Then I showed pictures and handed out gifts.

The most popular crepe of the evening was spread with nutella and topped with strawberries, whipped cream and powdered sugar.  How bad could that be?

When everybody left, I treated myself to crepe number two, an imitation of the French Market's cinnamon sugar crepe.  I have some work to do on this one, so it's a great excuse to keep making them!

Back to my good people.  Good Person #11: Mama Ese for being my kindred spirit.  (Due to my photo laziness, her picture didn't turn out either, so I thought I'd stick in this one instead.  Pictures are always better with these two anyway!)

Good People # 12 & 13: Mamaw for teaching me all about being a hostess and Papaw for his sweet smile and for always calling me "sweetheart."

Hello David Cole in 20 years.  Don't you think Dad's going to look just like Papaw?  Hopefully he'll have that pure white hair.  Love it.

Good Person #14: Papaw J. for making me feel like that ship was the best gift ever.

Gotta give another shout out to Mom for actually putting it together.  I gave up after about five minutes.  Good Person #15: Dad for fixing our toilet for the millionth time so our guests could actually use the bathroom.

Good People # 16 & 17: Andrew and Kristi for entertaining us in Indiana for the holiday weekend.  Huber's Winery was such a cool place and totally made up for the fact that we took the boat out on the lake in the rain!  Just kidding - even that was a blast - especially since we didn't see any snakes!

These two Andrews have been besties for life.  What a good looking pair.

Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with the amount of good people in our life.  As I was washing dishes from the crepe meal, I actually teared up just thinking about how lucky I was to be cleaning the plates of those, say it with me, good people.  Seems a little crazy I'm sure, but God has blessed us so abundantly that I hope it isn't wasted on us.  These lyrics from Starfield's "I Will Go" have become my prayer:

Let the blessing You've poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change

Stay tuned tomorrow for an announcement about an exciting upcoming project that desperately needs your help!