**snapshots of summer** week 2

More time at the pool. Lotsa rain. Toy Story 3 at the IMAX. The kids started a band. Ice cream cones are the treat of choice. Summer band lessons begin. Father's Day. Bonfire with friends. Date Night. Calvin & Hobbes. The library. Family golf night. Dinner at 10:30 pm. Playing with the neighbors ("the things vs. the normals"). Cheese balls. Here's a peek at our week in pictures:

caught up in the room renovation

...and my computer is giving me issues and the day is slipping away and it's almost dinner time. The bad news, this will be short. The good news, I managed to get my hands on that bread pudding recipe. And just in time:

Here's the recipe (thanks Stacey!):

Bread Pudding

1-1/2 loaves white bread at least a day old, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6-7 cups)
1 qt milk (4 cups)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Press with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins into the mixture.

3 Use a 9x13 inch baking pan. Spray the pan so it won't stick and put pieces of the butter at the bottom of the pan. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Here's what it looked like BEFORE I polished it off:

Simply divine.

i have a thing for photo collages

Perhaps it's the way I shoot.

I love the way a series of images can tell a story.

A typical family session will give you an assortment of images to choose from. Take my own family, for example:

We spent the afternoon hanging out at a local park, just tossing a football and checking out the sights.

The images were perfect for this collage frame I picked up at Target:

But would have worked well in any of these frames as well:

Speaking of collages...

This is one of Ren's old bedroom - the "new room" is under construction. (I can tell you this much... it will be one giant IKEA advertisement.)

Ah, but I digress.

Click HERE and HERE for some inspiring wall collage ideas. Too complicated? Click HERE for a fool-proof option.

I'd best be getting back to my home improvement projects. Be back tomorrow with some information regarding my annual BLOGIVERSARY CELEBRATION, a bread pudding teaser, and things you need to know if you plan on booking a photography session with me in the coming months. Until then...

**snapshots of summer** week 1

With summer underway, I thought I'd post a weekly "snapshots of summer" entry to help me stay on top of things. The plan is to complete an album similar to my Week in the Life project. But for the summer. The entire summer.

Looking for your own summer inspiration? Click HERE to check out a cool summer workshop.

Here's a peek at our first week of summer vacation:

We've missed the sunshine and have thoroughly enjoyed these last couple of days. The rainy days meant a lot of time indoors - playing games and cleaning. (Ren is getting a room makeover this summer... out with the cartoon animals, in with IKEA.) Lotsa late nights and late mornings... LOVE IT!!!

there's nothing like a SALE to inspire

Limited quantities available so be sure to check it out sooner than later! Click HERE for details.