This past winter I decided to go for it, and join a local CSA since I love fresh fruits and veggies. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it works genius-ly. You pay to join. As a member you get farm fresh food once a week throughout the growing season which is from late June through mid October. Then you get bunch of what's in season. The food is delicious, fresh, healthy and it's a fun adventure to find out what I get each week and then add in the challenge of figuring out what I'm going to do with it. There are many things in the share that I wouldn't necessarily buy, but I hate to see great food go to waste so I end up searching for new recipes and cooking meals that I have never made before.

Since up the CSA share has been a big part of my summer so I thought I would share some of the different ways that I'm preparing each week's bounty. There was a lot of zucchini coming each in July so I started to make these cookies each week. John loves them and they are super healthy!

Lemon-Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies
(modified from Martha Stewart)

* 1/2 cup smart balance
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon packed finely grated lemon zest
* 1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 cup whole wheat flour (you could also used unbleached flour)
* 1/2 cup fine cornmeal
* 1 medium zucchini, grated on small holes of a box grater (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Add flour and cornmeal and mix until mixture is crumbly. Add zucchini and stir until a thick dough forms.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are light golden brown at edges, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on wire racks.

I always love working with my wonderfully creative Melissa Paul over at Evantine, we had so much fun photographing this beautiful shower on a very hot day in July. I love all her fantastic ideas and the paper by Papery pulled everything together beautifully.

I have been photographing this beautiful little girl since she was three months old, and she every time I see her I am amazed as to how big she is getting. I love her stunning blue eyes and playful expressions. With it being so hot lately, outdoor photo sessions have been getting earlier and earlier - she was a great sport and ready for fun first thing in the morning.

A new workshop has been announced for this fall! Join myself along with award winning Dallas photographer Kimberly Wylie for a workshop that teaches the entire life cycle of a portrait. It is rare to find a workshop that teaches each step in such detail, from beginning to end. If you are serious about your portrait photography, this is the workshop you have been waiting for!

We are thrilled to have award winning portrait artist, Brianna Graham, as our guest speaker. With a truly unique style, she will demonstrate a live Urban Shoot in Downtown Denver and will also share with you some of the magic that makes her images one of a kind.

sign up today at www.livingthedreamworkshop.com

October 3rd – 6th
Denver, Colorado

Hope to see you there!

I photographed baby V's big sister back when she was 3 months old (she was the one who was in our front window for many years with the bright pink hat). So of course we had to capture baby sister V at the same age as well. The first image on the left is going to be placed large in the front foyer of this family's new beach home and I can't wait to see it all come together. V is such a beautiful happy, sweet baby!

This adorable new baby lives in Manhattan with two loving parents and the world to explore. She was so great for her photo session, awake just long enough to photograph her beautiful eyes and asleep long enough for some fun creative poses.

Shari and Michel traveled from L.A. to have their wedding at the beautiful Waterworks restaurant in Philadelphia. The few days before their wedding was a whirlwind schedule of last minute details, including an engagement session the day before their wedding since I had not met Michael yet. I loved learning about Shari and Michael, how they met, their tastes and styles. They both had such a great time at their wedding - as Sophia at Waterworks said "what I love about them is that they are all about having fun on their wedding day." And there was a lot of fun to be had!

These are just a few of my favorite images from their wedding:

I loved photographing Lauren and Alex's wedding last month in Rehoboth, it was the perfect beautiful beach day. We had some very special guest appearances including their sweet little dog Pokey, who was not interested in staying behind when we were leaving for the ceremony and sat on Lauren's dress in protest. At the reception Elvis appeared and was enthusiastically greeted with cheers and laughter, and after a few songs everyone at the wedding was out of their seat and on the dance floor.

That evening I was still humming the lyrics to suspicious minds on the drive home to Wilmington, smiling about what a lovely and beautiful day it was.