Hi friends! I know it has been quiet around here the last 2 weeks. For those of you who don’t know, my beloved camera is in the shop, which to me has been like losing an appendage. I take my camera with me everywhere. I’m lucky to have some good friends who have jumped in during my time of need. Thank you Sara for the use of your camera during my deadline ridden weekend last week and thank you Heather for loaning me one of your cameras for a bit. I truly, truly appreciate it and now don’t feel quite so lost.
I have so many things to be happy about this week! My first contributor post went up over at Simple Bites this week. If you want to know how to make linguine pasta without a pasta attachment (and get a great whiskey cream sauce recipe), head on over and check out my post. And, stay tuned for next week when I’ll be partnering with KitchenAid to give one of their pasta attachments away to a lucky Dine & Dish Reader! Remember when I made homemade rigatoni pasta? I’ll be giving away a pasta attachment just like the one I used! Stay tuned.
So, simple happiness… my girls have never had Graham Crackers dunked in milk. I couldn’t believe it… that is the snack I grew up on! So, this week they were introduced to the fine art of dunking Graham Crackers. (And yes, it is an art!)
Do you see that? I’m in 2 pictures in this post and put more on the Dine & Dish Facebook page. Inspired by a couple of things, I’ve decided to try to “get in the shot” more often. There are so few pictures of me with my kids I’m afraid if something were to happen to me, there wouldn’t be any pictorial evidence that I existed. Does it make me happy to be on the other side of the camera? Not so much. I look at each picture of myself and think I look old, or I’m too fat, or my hair needs cut, my skin tone is uneven or I need a fashion consultant, but you know what? Are my kids going to be thinking that about me down the road when they look back on these pictures? I don’t think so.
One of my goals this year, and the reason I started my Photo Journey blog, was to improve my photography. I wanted to be able to capture everyday moments with beautiful photos. I am a self taught photographer, so I thought it might be good to finally get some actual training. Thanks to Cheryl, I was pointed in the direction of The Photgraphers’ Workshop by Karen Russell. It doesn’t start until May, but it makes me so happy to know this workshop is in my near future!
Finally, the kids and I got to experience two really fun things this past week. We were given tickets to the pre-screening of the movie Hop, which opens in theaters on April 1st. I can tell you that this is a must see movie if you have kids (and heck… even if you don’t, it was really entertaining!) We also received tickets to see Disney Toy Story on Ice, which was another night to remember! Even though my husband was out of town this past week, I braved the Sprint Center alone with my four kiddos and we survived and had a GREAT time! All of that made me really quite happy.
I know this was a long one… if you are still with me,thank you!
What made you happy this past week?
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A good old fashioned STAYCATION. That’s what.
LOVED it. The kids still talk fondly of the last one we had over 5 years ago. It was TIME.
Oh and reading the book. Makes me happy. 🙂
What’s made me happy this week is coming across such a great group of food bloggers and photographers and getting so much inspiration to fight my way through beginning food photography.
I’ve been a photographer for half a century, but shooting food presents many new challenges. I’m glad to see that you and the others provide so many good examples of how it can be done as well as the great recipes (and suggestions for exercise, too!)
I love your resolution to put yourself in more photos, and you are so right – the kids (and probably you) will love and cherish them down the road. Once in a while, I get to bribe photographer friends to capture a day in my life, as you saw this week.
THAT made me happy this week.
Have a fantastic weekend Kristen! Hope the camera is fixed soon.
Hi Kristen! There was plenty for me to be unhappy about this week but why think about that? Several things made me happy: 1) remembering our conversation about our grandmas made me happy today; 2) Rene Lynch using one of my food photos in the printed LA Times food section yesterday really turned up the happy meter for my very dreary week; 3) remembering how great it was to see my brother’s family of friends at his 50th bday party last weekend; 4) Allowing my son to see his girlfriend tonight to reward him for finally starting to get his act together at school this week. 5) Writing two blog posts about food that looks like spring even if the weather outside says not so much.
Have a great weekend! And I love the pictures of you. Keep it up. They’re wonderful.
Love your Happiness Project Reports, AND those picts with you in them. Great lighting and encouragement to get myself in some with my kids before they fly the coop.
Happy girls there!
Love your resolution to put yourself in more photos. I’ve been attempting to do the same thing. A few weeks ago my oldest daughter was home from college over spring break. We went hiking and I was sure to include myself in a few of the pictures. I, too, want my kids to have pics of me. And, you’re not alone in your reasons for not including yourself in pictures. I’ll bet a lot of us think we look too old, or fat, or whatever. I know I certainly do.
I haven’t posted any of these pics to my blog yet. I’ve been a bit wishy-washy about blogging as of late. I’ve been trying to figure out which direction to take my blog, and whether or not I’m truly ready to enter the world of serious bloggers (meaning getting my own URL, customizing the layout and branding it) or if I should just dabble like I’ve been doing. So many thoughts and decisions it’s overwhelming!
I love your blog! Have a fabulous weekend!
I’ve told myself the same thing…that I need to get on the other side of the camera along with my girls. I am so enjoying these happiness posts. Thanks! And what made me happy today? A full day of sunshine (even if it was still cold), a successful project in the kitchen, and lots of laughs with my 3YO.
I am happy that I got a bonus check at work! and that I found my outfit for my anniversary photos next weekend. (15 years on Wednesday)
I am using my KA pasta attachment this weekend – making rigatoni. Wish me luck!! It is my first time.
Lady. Stop actin’ crazy. You look good. There is nothing wrong with getting in front of the camera. I say: DO IT.
What makes me happy this week is that, despite a rough week work-wise (busy busy busy, plus one of my dearest work friends’ last day at the company was today), I realized what great friends I have there. For instance, the guy who’s leaving won’t stop telling me I could be “the most powerful Jedi in the order” (I work with nerds, what do you want from my life?) and flattering my ego about my brain, and trying to get me a job at his new workplace. Plus, we went out tonight to see him off, and I guess he’s not the only one of my coworkers who thinks I’m great. This is awesome because a) being told you are excellent is always a treat, and b) I feel the same way about the people telling me this, so I’m surrounded by smart, astute, interesting, and – let’s just say it – good-looking people, all of whom can still put together a rational sentence even when they’ve had a great deal to drink. Did I mention I’m about 80% in the bag right now? That’s another thing that makes me happy, hahaha.
Love the pics of you! I’m the same. If I don’t ask my husband, or shove the camera at him, I’m always the one taking the pic and never in them. Thanks for the reminder to get in some photos of my own. 🙂
You ARE brave to go to a massive, public show with 4 kids on your own. I’m paranoid with just 2, that the toddler will get lost/run off/etc and I wont know where to find him. Heck, it happens at Target!
Glad to check in on such a happy post, I dont get to all my favorite blogs as much these days.
Spring, here we come!
Cheers,
Laura
Kristen you are so beautiful its great to see you in the pictures. The kids are getting so big and are as cute as ever! I am so glad you had such a fun week with them.
i so love seeing you in the pics w/your kids; they will appreciate those some day and they won’t give a whit about your hair, makeup or fashion. promise. you have such a beautiful family and it thrills me that you’ve set up your photography site! i say more photos w/you in them!!
because of you, I headed over to Snapshops and have signing up for that photo class high on my wish list. She is a new favorite for me, so thank you for sharing her. This past week was a tough week, but the one thing that made me happy this week was spending time with my friend and her 5 week old baby, Theo. There is really nothing better than a 5 week old to put everything into perspective! Have a great weekend, Kristen!
I love seeing you in the shots. Wish I could do that a little more often but no one around to snap for me. Though I do have that remote that I’ve never taken out of the package…
What made me happy this week- workouts where I didn’t feel like I was going to DIE, my almost 10 year old telling me that he has a secret (that he loves me)… and my husband took my face in his hands last night and told me that he “adored me.” That’s one happy week 🙂
Sounds very cool. Love these photos! That photo workshop sounds very awesome! I guess the fact that I found out on Tuesday that my upcoming cookbook will be here next week would be what really made me happy or excited this past week. Lots of work over a year is finally finished. Have a great weekend!
Are you kidding? You look fabulous, as do your adorable kids!
Kristin I love seeing you in these photos. Do share more of yourself and those gorgeous kiddos. Sounds like a fun weekend with the kids. xo
You are so beautiful Kristen! I love the photos of you, the first one just made me smile. And you bring up such a good point, that I feel as well, about not being in as many pictures with my kids as I would like. I will make more of an effort.
Sounds like a wonderful week and you know what, my kids have never had graham crackers in milk either!! It’s on the list now for this week 🙂
xo
I love the pictures you take, having you in them just makes them better. I like your new profile picture, you look great. ILU.
It’s official – you definitely belong in front of the camera!!!! Loved these photos of you and your beautiful family – keep them coming!!!
I think your camera broke for a reason !!!
It’s so great to see you in the photos, Kristen! I love you all your family pics. You are so good at capturing the a story in one frame.
What made me happy this weekend? Well, watching movies.
Kristen- you look GORGEOUS! Love that first shot!