ENGAGED // abby + ricky's seattle ferry boat engagement shoot

 couple weekends ago I met up with these two lovebirds up in Seattle for a fun evening ferry ride for their engagement shoot!  We ended up with an absolutely gorgeous day, which made the ride so much fun.  We hopped on the Bainbridge ferry for a round trip ride and on our way over we lucked out and the entire upper car deck was totally empty!  We took full advantage and frolicked around the empty space until the ferry workers kicked us out when we arrived at Bainbridge.  It turned out to be the perfect spot for photos because the top deck was packed with people (because of the beautiful weather) and it was crazy windy up there!  Looking windswept is romantic, but not so much looking like you're in wind tunnel.  Abby and Ricky are getting married this August and I can't wait to shoot their wedding!  




 


 



I've got a few wedding dates still available this summer for any of you last minute brides, and I'm already booking dates next year, so 2016 brides I'm ready for ya!  Check out my portfolio and get more info on my wedding, engagement, and boudoir packages here!

simple.decadent.cocktails // free printable download!

o you like free stuff?  Pfff, of course you do.  Do you like cocktails?  Well if you like both of those things, I've got something just for you!  I've compiled some of my favorite cocktail recipes into a little downloadable, printable booklet!  To snag the download just head over to my sidebar below the Simple. Decadent. Cocktails image, enter your info, and you'll get the booklet straight away!  
You can print it out and cut the full pages in half for a more recipe-box friendly size, or you can just keep it on your computer and refer to it in it's digital version.  It's 12 pages long and full of recipes for simple syrups, flavored liqueurs, and cocktails!  I get tired of hopping on my computer to search for some of my favorite recipes from the blog, so I have mine printed and stored in my bar cart for easy access.  Super easy peasy.  Cheers!

croque monsieur

an used to work at a local cocktail bar that served small plates and a few gourmet sandwiches.  One of the best sandwiches they had was a Croque Monsieur, which I'd never had before I had it there (and it was amazing), and I hadn't had one since, until we made this bad boy!  The Croque is typically made with Gruyere cheese, but Kerrygold challenged me to make a grilled cheese this month and I figured their cheese would make a damn fine Croque Monsieur, so I broke all the rules and did just that.  Spoiler alert: Kerrygold cheese does indeed make a damn fine Croque.  And technically this isn't a grilled cheese, per se, it's a baked cheese...with ham.  But I'm going to call it a mulligan.  It's a sandwich and bubbling hot cheese is heavily involved.  Grilled cheese it is.  And a fancy-ass grilled cheese at that.
Dan really wanted to make a Croque Madame, which is the same sandwich, but topped with a fried egg, but I was all, "Slow down, cowboy, let's not get too crazy."  But, hey, if you're into that, by all means, go for it.  

Kerrygold Croque Monsieur 
(recipe adapted from Bon Appetit)

Béchamel ingredients
¼ cup Kerrygold unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ¼ ground nutmeg
Kosher salt

Sandwich ingredients
4 slices ½”-thick rosemary bread
4-6 slices black forest ham (2-3 slices per sandwich)
~4 slices Kerrygold Blarney Castle cheese (enough for a layer in each sandwich)
1 cup Kerrygold Dubliner and/or Skellig Sweet Cheddar grated

To make Béchamel
1/ Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale and foamy, about 3 minutes. 
2/ Add the milk in slowly, stirring until mixture is smooth.  Still stirring, cook until sauce is thick and somewhat elastic (with a sort of rubbery texture), about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg; season with salt.


To construct Sandwich
1/ Preheat your oven to 425° F.  Spread all of the rosemary bread slices with béchamel, evenly and spread to the edges. 
2/ Place 2 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on a parchment (or foil) lined baking sheet.  Layer with ham and Blarney Castle cheese slices. 
3/ Place the remaining slices of bread, béchamel side up, on top and then sprinkle grated Dubliner and/or Skellig cheese on top. Bake until cheese is brown and bubbling, about 10–15 minutes.  Enjoy!

the brave show ep.1 / meet the new brave!

ne thing that I've heard over and over again in regards to starting something new is to start before you're ready.  As a perfectionist, that's hard because I could spend forever tweaking details and fixing things to get it just right, but what that means is that I never end up actually launching the new thing, it just sits in draft status hiding away, imperfect and unfinished.  So, today I'm starting before I'm ready.  Done is better than perfect, right?  It's not perfect but here it is!  I filmed the first episode of The Brave Show!

Oh, right, and other big news: I bought a new (old) Brave!  Ahh!  Yes I am a crazy person.  I'll tell you more about the new gal in the show and give you a tour as well!

It's so bizarre to think about how it's almost 5 years exactly since I found my first Brave.  There's some sort of kismet in my life with Braves and I feel like it's a sign that when I'm doing things with the Brave, I'm on the right track.  Things just come together in a really perfect way that kind of freaks me out sometimes.  My friend Kristi calls me an automotive empath, which she claims is a real thing, so I'm just going to go with it.  What I do know?  I feel most alive when I'm behind the wheel of a Brave, chasing adventure and listening to the knowledge the road gives.

It ain't perfect, but it's done!  Here goes nothing!

THE BRAVE // vintage rv renovation inspiration

lot has happened in the past week (including my first burlesque show on Saturday!), and I've got some Brave news forthcoming, but for now lets just look at pretty pictures, eh?  My aesthetic has changed quite a bit since my last Winnebago journey.  I was into textures on vintage prints on more textures next to more prints... you get the idea.  Hence my obsession with all things 70's.  Faux wood?  Hell yes.  Tacky patterns?  Bring it on.  But my current style is a bit cleaner and simpler, with some nods to that vintage style I was hot and heavy with back in 2008-2010.  The Brave needs a refresh, so it makes sense to give her a look that matches current me!  Plus, with my plans to film the video podcast inside the Brave,  I want something less dark, dim, and cave-like.  I know it's, like, all the rage to white wash the interiors of these vintage RVs and trailers, but the truth is, a good whitewash can seriously open up and brighten a space, and when you're dealing with a space appx 20 x 8 ft?  I'll take all the openness and brightness I can get.  
Obviously this is going to be a DIY-heavy endeavor, so I'm excited to share projects as things start to get rolling.  I have some boring mechanical stuff to deal with first, but I'm already filling my brain with inspiration for her cosmetic overhaul.  I don't even think Pinterest existed when I did my updates to the Brave before my last trip in 2010, and it's crazy how many RV renovations are out there now!  It's fun to see how many people have taken an interest in reviving these old gals since I was deep into that world in 2010!
 
  I really want her to be clean and bright, but still full of personality.  And for me, practicality and functionality has to be major.  I see a lot of cute RV or trailer renos and I feel like you'd have to remove half the stuff to make it driveable.  I mean, I love styling spaces as much as the next blogger, but I also am going to be driving this beast thousands of miles, so she really does need to be functional as a vehicle that drives on the interstate. It seems like most of the renovations I've found that I love are trailers, which seem a bit easier to work on since you don't have to deal with being inextricably enmeshed with the chassis of a truck.  The layout of my Brave is pretty much stuck, since everything is where it needs to be to work with the truck base, which is fine because I really love the layout I have.  I've been in a few Braves and mine is by far my favorite layout, very open and light, all things considered.   Right now on my to do list: 

• whitewash interior
• reupholster bench seating in rear
• refinish counter + table
• make new curtains, possibly new rods too
• redo bathroom (not sure what I want to do yet, though)
• finish flooring
• repaint flying W on exterior!

I seriously can't wait to transform the Brave into a mobile home and studio that reflects my style and give it a fresh new life!  It's gon' be awesome, y'all.  *does geeky excited dance*

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