Silver Bullet

This silver bullet and I are good friends.

Together, we patrol the ghetto the 'hood...

...wave to fellow Rosemontians...

and stop at parks along the way.

Isn't "Manlove" a funny name?

When I was thirteen, my parents bought me a shiny, new red bike, with multiple gears-fancy! It was a wonderful gift. It meant freedom. I used to ride in our old neighborhood, gaze at houses and dream of adulthood. I would pick my favorite house on each block and imagine myself and my future family in those walls. Unbeknownst to my mother, I would occasionally hide quarters in my sock and stop at the Dairy Queen for a vanilla blizzard with Nerds - BEFORE dinner. Naughty!

My bike is still my refuge. When I am bored, cranky or need to clear my fuzzy head, I hop on this silver bullet and with each pump of my legs, I feel my worries blow away with the wind...


Well, most of them anyway.

Carnie Power!

I wish I could say that my excitement for the State Fair was really all about the rides...



...but in truth, I was way more excited for the food and drink.




However, the slide ride with Amanda was pretty awesome...




And of course, Mr. Kelly and I got lots of love from little baby Logan-who is soooo smiley at the ripe old age of 5.5 months!




First Family Fair for the Caldwell's. All that walking (or stroller riding) makes for one sleepy baby...




I am SO into dinosaurs...20 years after I first studied them in elementary school and I still can't get enough. I can't wait to have kids just for this reason. They better be dino-fans too.




Classic Carnie style...



And our day ended with drinks and wings at Hooters. Classy, huh? We decided to carry on with the trashy carnie style and indulge Mitchell in his first visit to the joint. We all know that baby Logan is a boob man himself, so it was actually quite fitting. Apparently, Logan also has a thirst for beer! The boy was reaching for our beers ALL DAY! Trouble...




Thanks for joining us Caldwell Familia! xoxo

Hero

Under normal, happy circumstances, we take photographs to capture those moments that made us laugh, that freeze a look, an instant, a milestone.

But on this day, with great sadness, I took photographs to remember Chase Stanley. A soldier fallen. A son gone. A friend lost.




I didn't know Chase well. But my sister did. I simply remember his shy eyes, ginormous smile, and the way his suit matched my sister's prom dress. I remember watching his dear mom fuss over his lapel with such a look of pride on her face. I can remember thinking how evident her love for him was, while pondering the love mothers have for their sons. And now, he is gone.



I wish there was something that I could do for this family. Something that would help fill the big, dark hole that will inevitably be empty forever. But I know there is only one thing I can do...

I vow to remember that freedom is not free, and that the cost is great. I vow to pause and to be grateful.

I vow to always remember Chase.

That kind boy with those shy eyes who grew up and became a hero.

Down by the river...

...a path will lead you to beauty...


natural beauty...


...delicious beauty...


...and signs of man, including a bit of graffiti art.

As the sun falls, the shadows grow...


...and the path will beg you to follow the last of the light. The best of all light.


It is impossible to ignore, that magical hour, when everything around you is awash in a shiny, golden sheen.


Soon the moon will appear, waiting in the wings...


But not before the sun gives us one last hoorah. One last spectacle for the day.


And the moon becomes the star of the show as nighttime finally arrives.

Date night.

This guy...

*this is one of favorite shots of my Mr. Kelly. Circa 2008 - Hawaii.

...had a very clever idea last Friday. He came home and said he was taking me on an old fashioned date. I smiled. I love date night.

He announced the venue: a parking lot with a view of the fireworks show, courtesy of the State Fair (p.s. I loooove that movie)...


...followed by dessert at Wendy's.


The best dates are creative ones. They may not be expensive, but they are overflowing with romance.

And this one only cost $2.78.

I love that man.

Bake Party

On sunny Saturdays, when it is too hot to hang outside, sisters gather for bake days...

First, we plan. Scouring blogs, cookbooks and recipe boxes for the answer to the big question, "what will we bake today?"...

Sisters then set off to the Farmer's Market for ingredients...

The grocery store for pantry items...

And then,we do lunch. Energy for the marathon we face...

Sisters dress appropriately. Of course, girly aprons included.

We collect utensils, set up stations and prepare for the sweet and savory saturation ahead...

My bread machine's virgin sail - rosemary bread! And yeast - it's alive and it will always be a mystery to me...

Apple strudel, anyone?



Or perhaps, lemon yogurt cake?

Maybe you are in the mood for chocolate cream pie?

Every Saturday should be spent with sisters, especially when there are fine confections involved.

Mr. Kelly and his happy tummy agree. My waistline, however, may not.

Thank you, Sister. For everything. And for the record, the strudel studel is my favorite ;)

P.S. Please note the strawberries as seen above were FREE. That's right, friends, FREE. I think I will bring that cute little Rachel to the market with me more often. It seems the boys find her very easy on the eyes. Which apparently means free fruit for all. Sweeeet.

Barefoot in the kitchen....

Lately, I can't get enough of the lovely Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa. Although my mama (and most everyone else) has looked to Ina for inspiration for years, I have just discovered her and I couldn't be more pleased.

*Don't you just want to hug her?

Due to the lack of exciting television (not including Wipe Out) during the summer months, I set off in search of some new and different delights to add to my DVR list. I am proud to say that Ina now enters our living room each day while I am work and leaves tips, recipes and such a sweet smile for me to find when I return home each evening.

Although she says, "how is easy is that", "add a little heat", and stresses the importance of "good vanilla" over and over again, I can't help but just love this woman and am happy to report that she has helped inspire me and add to my "wifey" skills. Her recipes are classic and fresh, the ingredients simple and basic and I love the alternatives she offers: "if your eggs aren't room temperature, just set them in warm water for five", or, "if you don't care for dill, try parsley". Thanks anyway Ina, but I am crazy for dill; however, I am putting that egg tip in my back pocket.

Some of the recipes that we have tried in the last couple of weeks, include:

*Fingerling potatoes with dill, roasted in a dutch oven.

*Grilled Asian glazed salmon

*Chicken and vegetable kabobs

*Hollandaise over asparagus (Mr. Kelly's top pick)

And I can't wait to try homemade marshmallows and her chocolate chip angel food cake recipes. Can we all say "YUM"?!

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Thank you Ina, for your professional courtesy and for so generously sharing your culinary expertise. I look forward to expanding our working relationship in the coming months.

Best regards,

Mrs. Lauren Kelly

Cable Schmable

Ryan had a crazy, and wild idea last night: Cancel the cable.

At first, I will admit, I was appalled. And the look I gave him read disgust, shock and "DON'T YOU DARE" as I imagined not being able to catch Bethenny Getting Married? that was set to start in ten minutes.

But slowly, as I pondered his blasphemous words, I gazed up in thought, and my look softened as Ryan calmly reminded me of our early days...


Six months had passed since our blind date, we were already in love. Ryan lived alone in the house we now call "home". But it looked very, very different than it does now. It was a true bachelor pad. No fridge, no lamps, no hand towels, no "home-y touches"-it was like a rustic bomb shelter. Just a roof over the head.

The bomb shelter house had no television and no cable. It was odd at first. But soon we began finding great ways to spend our time. Our evenings were spent taking walks around the neighborhood and occasionally to the local Thrifty for a cone, reading and playing endless games of cards on the front patio. It was awesome.

A few months later, we moved in together, and we got cable-it was an exciting day. Very exciting. DVR, free HBO for three months, and the ability to pause and rewind live TV? Crazy! We couldn't believe what we had been missing! And we loved every second.

But soon, as we piled on the couch together, once in awhile one of us would whisper about the good ole' days and the fun we had without TV and the other would pause, smile, nod in agreement, and then quickly pick up the remote to peruse the guide channel in search of something brilliant. Something that would convince us that life with TV was the only way. Sometimes we found it. Sometimes we didn't.

*******************************************************************************************

We talked about our brave idea last night with excitement and brainstormed about all the things we will do with our new found freedom, all the while wondering if we were on the brink of a disastrous mistake. We reassured one another in our my moments of weakness. Ryan quickly reminded me of the card games we used to play, the joy of the Internet, and Red Box and I remembered (with mixed emotions) the cable at the gym. I wondered how we would fill the quiet. Maybe we will get a police scanner and start a neighborhood watch program for the 'hood. Maybe we will host weeknight garage sales. Perhaps take up scrap booking. Who knows? I soon realized...the possibilities are endless.

So after I am able to watch the hours of can't-miss-TV that I have stored on my DVR over the weekend, a call will be made to the cable company and our account will be cancelled suspended.

I wonder if we will make it. I hope we do. As you can see, I am skeptical. My husband? Confident.

Feel free to place your bets and wagers.

Fixated.

I've got this beauty on the brain and I can't stop thinking about it. Well actually, our little love affair has been going on for over a year now. But I have only grown progressively more fixated.

Literally, I now dream Canon.
Whenever Ryan sees this longing, wistful look in my eyes as I analyze Costco ads and pour over customer reviews, he smiles his handsome smile, and shakes his head with a look on his face that perfectly expresses a combination of "seriously?" and "wow, she is a little crazy, but I love her so". But it is ok, because I know how exactly how he feels and I get the very same look when he devours car magazines and old episodes of "Cops"...


Anyway, back to the moral of the story...


I don't think my life will be complete until this little magic maker enters my little green hands. In fact, I am sure of it and poor Ryan knows it too. Luckily, he loves to make me happy (the feeling is mutual) and I have assured him that it could be worse: I could have an obsession with expensive puppies, overpriced handbags or fancy salon visits. He agrees. Instead, I merely desire a little machine to capture this amazing life we have.


Except, it's not just that. This is a hobby that is endless. One that I really love. That I can do anywhere. A hobby where I can be creative, improve upon, and try to be better. I haven't had that in awhile and it feels really spectacular. I often feel like the good things in life, like sunsets and love, are free and it amazes me. And like love, with a good camera, you first obtain it, then take care of it and then just sit back and reap the rewards. Hours upon hours of free fun. Ok, maybe not the best analogy but you feel me, right?


*Disclosure: My research has indicated that with once you join the DSLR world, "lens envy" soon follows. But whatev. That is years down the road.

All I know for certain is that, like my parentals, I am a Canon girl. And my research has taught me that these Canon v. Nikon loyalties run deep. Very deep. Best not fight it.

In the meantime, you will know when we have made the leap and when the piggy bank is full. How, you may ask? Because the photos that I will post on this little blog may be blurry and all wrong at first...but with a little time and a couple photo classes, hopefully my images will soon be as good illustration is to a good children's book...

Perfect together.

TLC

Last Thursday, TLC (minus our beloved S-we missed you Sara Mary!) gathered to gab, nosh and drink. T (Tracey) surprised us all with a bottle of Rombauer Chardonnay - what a treat!

In typical girlie fashion, we chatted, discussed and laughed (a lot) until well after the sun went down.

The menfolk arrived to collect T and C, just as Mr. Kelly got home from work, so our girls night ended as a triple date, complete with a silly photo shoot, and oh, what fun we had.

Let's do this more often...what do you say ladies?

Floral Fun

I tried this dress on at J.Crew during my bridal season...a.k.a. Need a million to-die-for dresses for all of the bridal events.

And I haven't been able to forget it.

So flirty, floral, comfortable and I love an exposed zipper. But it was a few too many pennies for my taste. However, now it's on sale. Are you reading this Mr. Kelly? ;)



It looks a little "young" (too short for my married, 28 yr old self) on the model, but I remember it being a good length and nothing but fun. Dress it up or dress it down... whatever suits your fancy.

Yawn.

Please meet Chloe, a.k.a Princess and the Pea. Our little kitty. Her favorite things include: planning elaborate escape attempts, eating only the freshest of food, playing chase with herself, acting like she "owns the joint", and sleeping in the most inconvenient places; such as on my clean laundry pile, and in doorways. But despite her inclination to bite and her obstinate will, this little feline has found a pretty big place in our hearts.

P.S. If the above photo sequence doesn't warm the cockles of your heart...you might want to check your pulse. I know, as her mother I am biased and don't worry, I am not going to start decorating this blog with photos of fluffy kitties frolicking in daisy-filled meadows, but seriously. Too cute, if you ask me.

Under the freeway.

Under the freeway, on the corner 6th and X, a Sunday morning crowd hustle and bustles about in search of fresh. organic. homeopathic. pesticide free. grass fed. free range. et cetera. You want it? You can find it all here.


I set off with recipes in mind, and small bills in my pocket. I love it here. Except the crowds can get so intense, I sometimes get flashbacks of Disneyland on New Year's Eve- a.k.a. 2008 attack of the stroller brigade. But all the vibrant colors, cheap prices and wonderful tastes make it worth it.

And this is what found it's way into my beloved shopping basket.

What a bounty.