where did the time go?

This post is dedicated to my sweet, sassy niece, Lauren. As a graduation gift I had a photo shoot with her and designed her senior announcements. Yes, that means she's graduating high school and I just can't believe she has grown up this fast. It seems like yesterday when this sweet, chubby-faced little girl was toddling around, making up songs and making us laugh into hysterics! I had to include a couple of pics, sorry Lauren.

She was always so dramatic and we all knew from a young age that she would take after her Aunt Sommer. Her sister, Brittany was the complete opposite... quiet, sensitive, careful and dainty. You could always hear Lauren coming, she made her presence known. I remember one year for Brittany's 5th birthday I decided to buy her an outfit that matched my style. Baggy jeans, half-cropped shirt, and boxers that would show slightly under the baggy jeans (cut me some slack... it was the 90's). She was not havin it! She ripped off those clothes and comfortably got back into her sweet, pink dress with flowers and rainbows. Lauren was my little twin, always wanting to dress like me but she didn't need any help looking like me or acting like me. That was natural.

Now that she has grown into her own person, I couldn't be more proud. She still has a lot of the same traits I did at her age: sassy, pushing the limits, inability to take people's crap, fun, energetic, dramatic, confident, assertive and did I say sassy? Cause she is.

I know she will turn out to be a successful, happy woman as long as she keeps following in my footsteps! I have no doubt.

Being that I am not having children, these 2 girls are the closest thing to it and I couldn't be more proud and excited. Even though I miss that chubby-faced toddler, I am very thrilled to watch her grow up and spread her wings.

go bananas!

As many of you know, I am very fond of the carrot cake whoopie pies that I make often. So, when I saw this recipe for a whoopie pie made with banana cookies and peanut butter cream filling, I couldn't wait to whip up a batch! Luckily, my hubby volunteered me to make the treat for his monthly birthday office gathering so I had a reason to try this sucker out!
I found the recipe in Taste of Home magazine and I added my own touch by rolling them in Butterfinger because everything is better with Butterfinger!

Here is the recipe, although I would add some banana extract to the cookie mixture cause I felt the peanut butter filling overpowered the banana flavor.

Go Bananas Whoopie Pies!

COOKIE:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon banana extract (optional)

FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a bunch of seniors...

It's the time of year for graduates. And even though I don't consider myself a photographer, I keep getting hired as one... so I just go along with it!
Below are three gorgeous girls that I had the pleasure of photographing for their senior announcements. One of which is my own beautiful niece. They grow up so fast.

it's never too late...

This is an album that I designed a couple of years ago but I realized that I have done 5 or 6 albums and haven't posted any on my blog. So I am trying to track down a few to share with everyone.
This is the first one I ever designed and it is my favorite. Maybe because the wedding was held at Sandals in the Bahamas and the bride, Alexis, was stunning... therefore made it easy to create a gorgeous album! When you have beautiful models and backdrop, it makes my job a little easier.
This is the cover:

Here are two of my favorite spreads from the inside:

and this is the back cover:

it's a first...

When I was hired to create a baby shower invite for an expectant mother of twins, I couldn't wait to get started! I think I even had them designed before I had a date, location or details. Designing an invite for twins is a first... and I think the finished product is super cute!

it's easy being green...

Kermit didn't know how easy he could have it with this recipe!

Grasshopper Pie

I never really celebrated St. Patrick's Day til I inherited my husband's family. They are Irish and treat this holiday as special as Christmas. We wear crazy costumes, eat Irish food, drink lots of beer, and dance Irish jigs! I contribute the dessert every year. Last years was a bit more adventurous and creative but with a 40-hour a week job, sometimes I have to take the easy route. (Hence, the pre-made pie crust)

I have never made this pie before and found a recipe from Pioneer Woman and really wanted to try it. Then reality struck that since St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekday this year, I don't have much time to tackle one of her made-from-scratch recipes. So, I set out to find a quicker version and viola! I didn't have mint extract so my cool whip is just plain old cool whip flavor. And the comments on this recipe suggest using chocolate fudge pudding in order to give it a thicker consistency. My grocery store didn't have that either, so this might end up being a little runny. We will see.

I have yet to taste it, but how could it be bad?

chocolate = good

andes mints = good

cool whip = good

Put it together and... well, you get the picture.

just a sweet, little nest of sweetness...

This was my first real job where I was "hired" to create something sweet. Usually, I just use friends birthdays to try new things and add to my blog, but this time I was actually sought after and paid (yes, with real money) to bake! I can't believe it, seems I am movin' on up... to the east side... to a deluxe apartment in the sky... okay, I will stop. But I know you are singing The Jeffersons in your head now... you're welcome.

One of my closest friends and fellow-creative-thinker, Abigail, was throwing her friend, Amanda, a baby shower. I made Abigail these red velvet cake pops for her birthday last year, which led her to think of me when she was trying to decide what to do about the cake for the shower.

She tells me that Amanda LOVES carrot cake and after seeing the amazingly cute invites Abigail designed, my creative juices started flowing. The carrot cake sandwich cookies that I have made in the past, just happen to be the best thing to come out of my oven, in my opinion at least. But how to creatively display them? It was Abigail's little birdies on the invite that inspired the idea to put them in a nest! How cute are they? For the recipe, refer back to my previous post.

To top it off, I had to include a little welcome sign.