One of my favorite things to photograph, ever since I first got my DSLR, has been food. On a consistent, day to day basis, I probably take more photos of food items than I photograph anything else. So I thought I’d share a recent food photo, and a recipe to go along with it!

Last week, I tried a “Roman” Burger from Acme Burgerhaus in San Francisco. The flavors were unlike anything I’ve ever had in a burger. It was so good, I tried my hand at replicating the burger and I think they came out great! The trick really is to use fresh ground beef, instead of frozen or pre-packaged ground beef. The fresher the better.

The Roman Burger (Recipe for 2)
Half pound of freshly ground beef
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp of chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp of oregano
Dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix everything together and then form into patties. Cook on a grill (I used a cast iron grill on the stove top) for about 3 minutes on each side, top with cheddar cheese, arugula, and some grilled red onions, maybe a little mayo or ketchup and you’re all set!

Trust me, this burger is DELICIOUS. Not sure if I’ll ever go back to cooking regular burgers after having made this one. Enjoy!

A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to go spend a week in South Korea. It was a wonderful spontaneous decision that happened within the span of a couple hours. We found an insanely great promo deal with Singapore airlines that was expiring THAT DAY, and the same day I got the call from my bestest Cousin Grace that she would be in Korea at the same time which sealed the deal. So we jumped at the chance and booked the tickets that afternoon.

Turns out, we couldn’t have picked a better time to visit. The colors! Reds and golds and greens. I was blown away by how beautiful the natural surroundings of Korea were, and I was like a kid in a candy shop oohing and ahhing and snapping photos left and right.

Yes, a mosquito stung me in the eye, yes we caught the swine flu, and yes my cousin forced me to eat raw crab meat, but my overwhelming memories of this trip remain firmly rooted in the intense beauty of this country. This is only my 2nd time visiting and it definitely won’t be my last.

Enjoy!

More photos to come!

This here is Smithsonian. Otherwise known as Mr. Smith.

Not sure why we named such a girly looking tree Mr. Smith, but I think it works. Our last tree was named Annabelle. I hope all my lovely blog readers have a beautiful holiday season full of snug blankets and mittens, hot chocolate, presents wrapped under the Christmas tree and as many tacos as your belly can hold.

I’ll be out of the office until January 2nd, so stay happy and warm my friends and I’ll see you next year!

I’m one of those A-for-effort type crafters. The kind of person who adores crafts, but usually devotes hours to completely covering the dining room table with bits of paper, glitter, glue, and metal wires only to end up with a deformed looking Christmas wreath or a sticky mess of a greeting card.

But sometimes, sometimes I end up getting it right. The mess is still there, but at least the end results are pretty!

So I’ll share with you all a quick and easy Christmas ornament project I undertook on a whim. I bought some clear glass ornaments (50% off right now at Michaels), some dried stardust gypsophila and baby’s breath (fake) flowers, and a bit of string to tie it all together. Take one ball, stuff it full of the flowers, and voila, perfectly wintery homemade ornaments. Simple and beautiful.

Happy Holidays!

There are so many things in my personal life that I was thankful for this past week as I celebrated Thanksgiving with the people I love most in this world.

I’m thankful for my family, even with all our little dysfunctialities. I’m Thankful to my lovely friends, who brighten up my days in so many ways. I’m thankful for the two most beautiful doggies in the world. And I’m thankful for my amazing Boyfriend, who makes me better, makes my life better by being in it. While I was being crushed under the weight of having to create a Thanksgiving feast and basically freaking out because OH MY GOD, where is the rice pilaf?! He was there to ground me, look me in the eyes and convince me that the world wasn’t going to end.

But mostly this past Thanksgiving I mused on how grateful I am to all my past and current clients who let me into their lives and allow me to be a part of such an important day. A day full of love, laughter, joy, and CAKE! What could be better? I’m doing what I love and I can’t believe how lucky I am. I am surprised and humbled by how Bay Area brides have welcomed me with open arms into this new unfamiliar (and colder) part of California. Who have given me helpful tips on where I can go to find Korean BBQ and shown me new and beautiful places around the Bay as we shoot engagement sessions together.

I have only 1 more wedding left for 2009 (looking at you Min!) and then I’m launching full speed ahead into 2010. I’m so incredibly excited for the coming year, and I have lots of ideas brewing in my head to benefit me and my clients. I can’t wait.

And one more thing I was especially grateful for this past Thanksgiving. A warm happy kitchen full of family and friends with Me and the Boyfriend excitedly dropping little pillows of dough into piping hot oil and watching them magically turn into crispy, sugary beignets. What fun, what deliciousness. Thank you Paula Dean.