Girls Night

The Monday before Christmas I had the girls over for Thai and catching up before going our separate ways for the holidays.  While this was a quick visit, we still managed to have a lot of fun with the self timer on my camera {you'll remember we also did this last time}.  No one makes me laugh like these 3 - they are truly my faves :)

Love!
 
xoxo,
stephanie marie

Max Wanger

Have you heard of Max Wanger?  He's a fabulous photographer who takes the most gorgeous shots.  I wish I could have his photographs all over my house, so I decided to start with the above shot of New York.  I bought it on sale and can't wait to frame it and hang it up in my new home :)

Happy Weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Jumps

These are the kinds of things my brother and I start doing when we get bored waiting for our dinner to be ready....

Yeah, we're pretty awesome :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Viva Farms

I think fruits and vegetables can make some of the most beautiful photographs (is that weird?).  The colors and textures are so interesting and when presented in large quantities can be perfect to snap pictures of.  This past weekend, Mom took me to the Viva Farms produce stand just down the road from the farm house to pick up a few things for dinner, and I immediately took out my camera and started shooting everything I saw (the plum picture above is my favorite).  Not only was it so pretty, it's also super convenient to my parents' house.  I have a feeling there will be a lot of trips to Viva this summer :)

 i was in tomato heaven

 i convinced mom we needed these "fancy" nectarines for an afternoon snack :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Wenatchee {in pictures}

Here are a few pics I took around Wenatchee (mainly at my bro's apartment) on the Canon this weekend - and a few from him too!

 brother has gotten into sprucing up the yard a bit

how cute are these flowers in an old tackle box?

 the old schwinn

 the bug

 creepy antlers

 i don't know what this is, but it frightens me

 this shirt with the wine makes me giggle (and notice the masking tape wine glass tag? priceless)

 oil change

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy {wishing for spring} Weekend

Being at the Volunteer Park Conservatory last weekend with all of the bright and pretty flowers made me even more anxious for spring than I already was.  This year especially I cannot wait for warmer weather - this may be the first year ever where I say I'm thisclose to being officially over wearing boots :)  With day light savings time this weekend, I can't wait for evening strolls around the lake, patio dining, open windows - and maybe a few more photo adventures :)

Happy Weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

photo from our adventure last weekend

Photo Date {Volunteer Park}

After wandering around Melrose Market, Maddie and I decided to drive on over to Volunteer Park.  We walked around outside, watching families playing and dogs running on the overcast day, and ended up at the Volunteer Park Conservatory - one of the coolest hidden gems in Seattle.  Maddie had never been, and lucky for us it's free on the first Saturday of the month, so we walked around the greenhouse snapping photos (as soon as our lenses adjusted to the steamy room) and identifying plants (dad would be so proud).  We left the park dreaming of the adjoining mansions that we would someday own in the neighborhood :) 

Thanks for some great lessons, Mads!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Photo Date {Melrose Market}

Saturday afternoon, I asked Maddie to go on a photo date to show me a few tricks on my Canon.  We decided to head up to Capital Hill and ended up at two of my favorite spots in the city - Melrose Market and Volunteer Park.  First up, we walked around Melrose Market, snapping pictures at the different shops while Maddie talked me through aperture priorities, shutter speeds ,depth of field and... well, basically how take a good picture.  While these are far from perfect, here are a few of my fave shots from the market that day:)

If you want a unique and beautiful place to take pictures, head on up to Melrose Market (and if you're really feeling fancy, stop by Sitka & Spruce for dinner :)  Next up - Volunteer Park!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Party Like You're 75

For Grandma's 75th birthday, we surprised her with a dinner at my parents house with all of her closest friends and family.  Boy was she surprised :)  Every time a new group of people would walk through the door, she'd stop what she was doing, look to one of us and say "just a small dinner, huh?"  It was great.  I used the party as an excuse to try out the new camera, and even though the pics are far from perfect, I'm glad I got to capture a few of the fun moments from the night.

 grandma, great grandma, and gretchen

 mom and marsha

 gretchen and shaun

 catching up

 twinners

 telling stories

 gretchen, uncle ed, and me trying our best to pretend to like each other :)

 aunt gretchen finding out she'll be inducted into the BEHS hall of fame - congrats, gretchie!

 presents!

happy birthday, gram!

xoxo,
stephanie marie