This is just wrong

Those crazy Brits... click here for more info.

12 days

I have several little girls in my life that would love this "magic" wand. It's full of shimmery body powder, and it smells like gingerbread. Did I mention it's sparkly? What's not to love?

All this for $14.

13 days

A great gift idea for kids and adults alike. Who doesn't love their name on things? Growing up Bridget, with sibs Brenna and Conlan, stuff printed with our names was rare and oh-so-cool.

Check these out.

Two dozen personalized coloring pencils for $8.50. Oh, and be sure to double-check the spelling of any unusual names. If I had a nickel for every time someone spelled me Bridgette, I'd have enough to buy some freaking pencils!

The word of the day

This may be a regular feature, if I don't get bored with it.

From the American Heritage Dictionary, via Dictionary.com

twee: (twē)
adj. Chiefly British
Overly precious or nice.

[Alteration of tweet, baby-talk alteration of sweet.]

A very original gift

For a cat lover: www.kittywigs.com

Hey, they donate 20% of their profits to a great organization (the ASPCA)

One peeing dachshund

We were invited to shoot the very fun Santa (and pet) portraits at Sylvania Vet Hospital this year. Along with a lot of sloppy dog kisses, we got one peeing dachshund, two puking bulldogs, three flailing shih tzus, four scaredy cats, and FIVE GOLDEN DOODLES...

Disclaimer: If you love "golden doodles" or any poodle mix, please rescue one from your local animal shelter. Don't support irresponsible breeders of these mixed breeds (there IS no responsible breeding of mixed breed dogs).

To get in on this shoot next year, mark your calendar for the first Sunday in December.

Two weeks 'til Christmas

I'm not as into receiving presents as I am finding just the right thing to give. So I thought I'd blog one fantastic gift idea per day.


For a newly engaged (or married) couple, this is fantastic. Definitely a treat, and something you wouldn't buy for yourself. The Veuve Traveler Case: full of my favorite champagne, in my favorite color (we almost painted the studio "Veuve Orange"), and all ready for the honeymoon.

Sold at Costco, only available in certain states.

Faith & Daniel at Nazareth Hall

I missed this beautiful Nazareth Hall wedding due to an injury, but I couldn't have done better than Brenna did. I'm just jealous I didn't get to see the bridal party jump!

Check out all the sweet moments Brenna caught, and those photos of Faith... what a stunning bride.

Click on any image to enlarge.

The ice storm

So Joe and I waited out the ice storm, working day and night on Christmas prints, proof books, and albums. When all that is done, we need to do all the normal-people Christmas things we've been putting off. Luckily, we were clever enough to stock the pantry and freezer before the storm.

My neighbor, on the other hand, is out chipping all of the ice off his driveway. He actually has two driveways, so this should keep him busy for hours. Sitting at my desk, all I can hear is, "chink chink chink, scrape scrape scrape".

There is no reason at all to do this. I think we should give Paul some of our print orders to work on.

I promised an occasional recipe...

So here are my favorite cookies. I know this recipe came from Gourmet, sometime in the 90s...

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies (and they're gluten-free for my niece!)

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix PB and sugar together until combined well. Mix in egg and baking soda.

Use a teaspoon to portion dough, roll into a ball with your hands, and place on baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Use tines of a fork to flatten balls and make a crosshatch pattern. Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden.

Wait a couple minutes once cookies come out of the oven, then carefully move to a cooling rack. Store in airtight container for a few days (good luck with that -- these don't last long at my house) or freeze.

I once snuck these cookies, still warm from the oven, into a movie theatre. We shared with our nearest neighbors, and as word spread, we shared so many that we ran out.

Carissa & Sergio at the Toledo Club

We were fortunate enough to be invited to this showstopping wedding at St. Pat's Historic, followed by an elegant reception at the Toledo Club.

Check out the killer holiday decor at the club, the amazing flowers by Keith Brooks, the vintage Rolls with which Cari surprised Serg, and the snow that surprised everyone.

Click on any image to see it larger.