Category Archives: A Few of My Favorite Things

Vintage Hats ~ [Harrisburg, PA – Child Photographer]

I have a gigantic fondness for vintage hats.  Sweet, simple, colorful little vintage hats that while I walk by them in the antique store they scream, “Take me, take me!  I have tons of charm and a story to tell!”  Let’s face it, I’m a sucker for these things and I am fortunate to have two cute little daughters who don’t mind their mommy pleading with them to quick get a nice top or coat on, and follow me to the nearest photographic location so I can test out my new hat.  God love them!  It takes a little bit of coercing but eventually, they succumb to my begging and pleading (and sometimes bribery) and let me play around with their hair as they model my new hat.  Here are a few.  Oh, and by the way… these darling little hats are waiting for you!  After all, that is the reason I buy them!  So that my clients can enjoy them during their photo session if they’d like.  And yes, I even have a classic fedora for the boys out there.  I’ll even attach an oldie but goodie of Matheus modeling it for me several years ago.  So cute!  🙂

 

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A Few of My Favorite Things

I haven’t posted in this category in a while so I thought I’d take this opportunity to send a shout out to one of my all-time favorite local spots. Desserts, Etc. is a place I frequent.  And by frequent, I mean I go there once a week to treat myself to a sweet treat.  It is my ultimate weakness!  I do consider myself to be a very healthy person and here in our home we feast on whole foods and things that are mostly healthy.  But aside from wanting to keep my family healthy, I enjoy being a healthy eater because it allows me to treat myself to the things I love the most that might not be “quite so healthy”.  My favorite menu item is by far the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake that they happen to sell by the slice.  You can even ask my dear friends and they will tell you, it is the love of my life!  (aside from my husband, of course, who I am sure will think I have gone completely bonkers because of posting about this on my blog).  But keep in mind, a slice is like two put together, so it can last two days if you know how to behave.  🙂  Next in line has to be this incredible brownie I picked up last year.  It is called the Chocolate Decadence Brownie and it tasted every bit as good as it looks in this photo.  Does that make me a crazy person because I actually took a picture of it???  The disappointing thing is that I understand Desserts does not make this brownie all the time, so in a way, it’s probably a good thing that I took a picture of it.  If I can’t enjoy it, at least I can remember enjoying it!  So in conclusion, here is this picture I took last year.  Looks good, huh?  It’s a chocolate lovers delight and I urge you to stop by if you happen to be in Hershey, PA.  It’s one of my favorite places!!!

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Two Turtle Doves – [My review of Matilda Jane’s final release of the “Paint By Numbers” Collection]

“TWO TURTLE DOVES, AND TWO OUTFITS TO GO WITH THEM”

 This past fall I had the opportunity to review some pieces from the second release of Matilda Jane Clothing’s “Paint By Numbers” collection.  It was my utmost pleasure because I am a huge fan of Matilda Jane (you’ll see what I mean by clicking here) and have been a devoted customer for quite a few years now.  So as you can imagine, I was super excited once again when another opportunity popped up earlier this month – this time to review an outfit from the final release of the “Paint By Numbers” collection.  My last review included my daughter Sophie in the adorable Turtledove Knot Top, which was paired with the Sky View Puffer Top and the Gleam Leggings.  This time around, the Turtledove Knot Top is being paired with the Biscuit Tee and the Gallery Leggings and is being modeled by my daughter Catie.  🙂   The Turtledove Knot Top is such a great piece!  It is so versatile and it goes wonderfully with so many different colors and various tops and bottoms.  As you’ll see with most of the Matilda Jane pieces, they mix and match beautifully!  I love the look of the Turtledove Knot Top with the Gallery Leggings because the big red roses that adorn the ribbon along the bottom of the Turtledove Knot Top coordinate nicely with the large flowers and leaves that decorate the Gallery Leggings.  It’s kind of like receiving a big bunch of flowers from someone you love! 🙂

 

 

 

I love the bottoms of these leggings!  The stripey and polka dotty cuffs remind me of tulip petals or something of that fashion.  So fun and playful!  And then there are those pretty buttons that accompany almost every piece.  I love all the details that go into these outfits – the buttons, the unique ribbon, even the clips that fasten the tags to each piece.  Such charm, everywhere you look!

Then there’s the Biscuit Tee.  I think they should have named this the Butter Tee because (1) it’s the pale yellow color of butter, and (2) it is so incredibly soft… like butter!  What child doesn’t like to feel all comfy and cozy in their clothes?  This comfort and the quality of Matilda Jane Clothing are some of the many reasons why I love this line so much.  Each piece is unique and stylish, yet very comfortable.  My girls love it! And the roomy fit and the stretchiness of so many of the pieces enable them to be worn year after year.  What once started off as a dress on one of my girls is now worn as a top with a pair of cute bottoms, three years later.  And the mix and match capabilities go on and on and on, as you can see from the two different outfits in this review and my previous review (take a peek at my last review from this past fall).

Whatever the occasion, our Matilda Jane outfits are always our go-to outfits.  For special occasions, Sunday mass, and dress down days at school, my girlies love to wear their Matilda Jane (Yup! Dress down!  We wear uniforms to school so they love to wear their Matilda Jane on dress down days!) And from one collection to the next, this beloved company never fails to impress me by their quality and attention to detail, and the charming pieces of every collection continue to fill our closets year after year!  We love you Matilda Jane! XOXO

 

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The Matilda Jane Photog-Blog Party! My “Paint By Numbers” Review!

I recently had the most delightful opportunity to review some pieces from the second release of  Matilda’s Jane’s new fall collection, “Paint By Numbers”.   I was super honored to be given this chance to blog about my most favorite clothing brand!  I’ve been a loyal customer of Matilda Jane for about five years now and am also a “Jane” for this amazing company.  With every new collection that comes out, I am that much more enamored by them.  Not only do my daughters love their Matilda Jane, so does their mommy!  (I am a die hard lover of the Finn Skirt!).  So with the help of my littlest one, Sophie, we had some fun with our newest outfit…  here is our review!

As with every Matilda Jane delivery, the fun starts when the FedEx truck pulls up in front of my house.  Woo Hoo!   I still get giddy like a little girl when I see the familiar packaging and the pretty mesh bag in which each piece is carefully wrapped!

Even the tags and the tiny clips are adorable!  Love, love, love!!!

These beauties are the Turtledove Knot Top, the Sky View Puffer Top, and the Gleam Leggings….  I know, they’re awesome aren’t they????
The Turtledove Knot Top is graced with lovely little doves and colorful flowers all around.
Being a lover of birds (as you can see from my logo), I give this sweet little top a big round of applause.
The Sky View Puffer Top is decorated with hot air balloons and butterflies galore!
And the Gleam Leggings, well, what can I say?  Who doesn’t love stripes and ruffles??

As a photographer, I am drawn to bright, bold colors.  Color makes me happy!
I think that is one of the reasons I love this collection as much as I do.
The clothing is always full of color and it’s loaded with character and charm, right down to the tiny details like the buttons and the ribbon trim.

As a mommy of two little girls, I love the clothing because it’s adorable but also because it is made of the finest quality.
The same holds true for this newest collection.
My girls wear their Matilda Jane for almost every special occasion, including church on Sundays and yes,
they are even allowed to wear it for play (on occasion).  It’s hard to say no when they appear in front of me wearing one of their outfits,
grinning from ear to ear and dancing around like a little princess showing off a new ball gown!

From any angle, this collection never disappoints!  I love these pink flowers!

I also love the puffy sleeves on the Puffer Top.  And there’s just so much detail in every stitch of every piece!

The pieces in this collection go together so well and they’re perfect for the fall season or any season to follow.
And the Knot Top can be perfectly worn solo in the summertime.
What’s better than a gorgeous piece of clothing that can be worn by your kiddos in any season?

But the thing I love most about Matilda Jane Clothing is that my girls love to wear it!  They feel pretty in it, and confident.
And the mix and match of the pieces makes it fun for them to get dressed.
They love everything about it, including the soft fabric and the comfiness they feel when it’s on them.

I never regret spending money on quality and this is no exception.  We love our Matilda Jane!  We enjoy it each and every day – not a single day goes by that one of us doesn’t have it on.  And it is the one collection of clothing that will be handed down to my daughters’ daughters if and when that day comes.  It makes us happy and it makes us smile!   It makes us feel a wee bit cheeky!  🙂

Thank you Matilda Jane!!!  We LOVE you!!!  XOXO

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A Delicious Summertime Treat!

Every year, as the end of summer draws near, I always start feeling that innate desire to bake.  I love baking, but there’s something about the end of the summer, probably more importantly the coming of fall, that stirs up that part of me that longs for the cooler days, the brisk nights, the crispy air, the bold colors, and yes, the smell of baking in the air!  I found a recipe this week that I decided to try out and it was fabulous! Nothing beats a tasty, end of summer dessert that is made with fresh peaches from the local orchard!  So here it is… My Peach and Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake!  Enjoy!

Peach and Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

5 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 3 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 medium ripe peaches, skins on, pitted, and cut into 3/4-inch wedges
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup light cream

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 10 inch iron (or ovenproof) skillet over medium heat, using a pastry brush to coat sides with butter as it melts.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over bottom of skillet and cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Arrange peaches in a circle at edge of skillet on top of sugar.  Arrange the remaining wedges in the center to fill.  Reduce heat to low and cook until juices are bubbling and peaches begin to soften, 10-12 minutes.  Remove from heat.

2.  Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.  Beat remaining stick of butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to medium.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.  Mix in vanilla and cream.  Reduce speed to low and beat in cornmeal mixture in 2 additions.

3.  Drop large spoonfuls of batter over peaches and spread evenly using an offset spatula.  Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.  Transfer skillet to a wire rack and let stand for 10 minutes.  Run a knife or spatula around edge of cake. Quickly invert cake onto a cutting board or large plate.  Tap bottom of skillet to release peaches, and carefully remove skillet.  Reposition peach slices on top of cake if needed.  Let cool slightly before serving.

4.  ENJOY!!!

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