Society6: $5 off iPhone Cases Until Tonight!

Until midnight TONIGHT (3.31.16), $5 off all iPhone cases in my Society6 shop!

Here are a handful of images placed onto functional (and can I say adorable?!?) products. Head on over by clicking THIS link, 

and check out some other artists while you're there!

1. "Edible Garden" Tote Bag // 2. "Fragrant" iPhone Case // 3. "Cirrus" Framed Wall Print // 4. "Lavandula and a Pansy" Shower Curtain // 5. "Cotton Candy Clouds" Art Print // 6. "Edible Garden" Clock with White Hands and a White Border

Bubby Goobers Baked Goods

I had a delicious opportunity to shoot for the Bubby Goobers Baked Goods pie event over at Peixoto Coffee last month. Their uniquely flavored mini pies and "pie bites" are a delightful pastry treat. Head on over to their facebook page and find out where to find them currently, and how to get in on some delicious pie goodness!

If Not for Grace.

"Nothing can make injustice just but mercy."

-Robert Frost

Foodie Fun: Tangy Sautéed Kale

I’ve been discovering more and more how amazingly tasty and versatile kale is. Not too long ago Mr. Abear took me out for a celebratory dinner where I ordered a side of sautéed kale with my meal. I had no idea how delicious it was going to be, and how at-home doable it was! So, recently when with a friend, I decided to try and make my own rendition of it, similar to the dish I had but with my own perception of how it was created, and a little flair.

Ingredients:

8 Cups Fresh Kale

Juice from ½ lemon 

2 cloves of garlic/1 tbsp diced garlic

Pepper to taste

½ Cup Parmesan Cheese flakes mix (and a little more for garnish)

3-4 thinly cut sliced sharp white cheddar

Olive oil for cooking

Here’s the how to:

Grease a pan with olive oil, and throw in a little lemon juice on the bottom to mix in. Sauté the kale until it’s softened, and even a little bit browned on some edges. 

Add in the lemon juice, and slowly stir in the garlic and a little pepper. 

Once the kale is almost completely done cooking, throw in the sharp white cheddar, stir, and finish off with the Parmesan.

 Done! Easy, wasn’t it? To make it one step simpler, you can use pre-squeezed lemon juice and pre-diced garlic. This is a great small meal, or start to something heartier. This go round I used a three cheese Italian blend with Parmesan, but just Parmesan flakes alone are my personal preference!

I lost track of time, but this dish takes roughly 20 minutes to make. Great for an after work dinner, or something to pack for next day’s lunch! Feel free to make this your own with more or less of anything you like!

Bon Appetit!

DIY: "Painted" Cat Dishes

Little Abear and I were looking at some small dishes in Target recently, and just couldn’t decide on which to get for the newest furry Abear. So, we ended up seeing some small white bowls, and decided to decorate our own. This was a perfect option, since these bowls were right up this thrifty mama’s alley - $1.99 each and we already had the food safe paint pens from Christmas projects. Yay!

These markers are by PaintedByMe, completely safe for humans once baked on, so I figured cats were fine, too ;)

We made our playful designs, being careful not to touch the wet spots we had just worked on. Then, we baked the dishes at 375 for 40 minutes, allowing them to heat up and cool down with the oven to avoid cracking. 

P.S., When starting your project, make sure your dishes are clean and wiped down.

Now, Slinky can get his food + water with a little homemade love and some bottom of the bowl surprises <3

XOXO,

Tamara

Jordan and Nicki

This sweet couple is getting ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime in their marriage to one another next year. I'm excited to have been invited to bring my lens along to witness such a joyous occasion! I loved this shoot not only for how gracious and kind they were, but for all of the laughter they brought along with them. Congrats, guys!

Tot Art: Marbled Eggs

We had a little messy fun today with some shaving cream, food coloring, some toothpicks to draw with, and hard boiled eggs. 

We started off by reading The Easter Story, and we talked about salvation on this most special Holy Week. I wanted to make sure the kids knew Easter wasn't about bunnies, baby chicks or eggs - and, being trained young in the Gospel chimed in to let me know it was about Christ. Amen. So in that, we went ahead with the knowledge of what this day was really about, and did a fun little art project to create some marbled eggs. Simple, but DEFINITELY messy!! Since all I had on hand were some brown eggs, the effect was not nearly as strong as it should have been. I would encourage white eggs, and a little more food coloring to really flood the egg with color. But hey, edible fun? Not all art turns out perfectly.. but the experience was worthwhile for all of us.

If your family has any special ways you reflect on Christ's most sobering and awe-inspiring sacrifice this time of year, I would love to hear. May God bless you and yours this week as we draw near to the excitement of the greatest Victory of all time.