It Was a Gray City Day

The city was swaddled in a ghostly gray fog. Low-hanging wisps of clouds silently swirled and encircled the top floors of stout skyscrapers. She had been hoping for sunshine to paint the city with light, but found an intriguing tranquility in the slow-motion cloudy day...

Shot on C-41 film.
More to come from this urban landscape shoot, in the meantime...
...it's your turn to cross the street.

Aliza

Hang Onto Your Hat!

"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn."
-L. Grizzard


{Image courtesy of booksinckids.blogspot.com}

Hang onto your hat! Spring really is here!
We're just waiting for the weather to catch up.

I hope your first week of Spring was delightfully and wonderfully unpredictable, like the season itself. Have a relaxing weekend!

Aliza

Behold, The Power of The French Fry

Something you should know about me: I am a foodie. I am, according to dictionary.com, a person keenly interested in food, especially in eating or cooking. It is a distinct possibility I will allude to this theme in future posts, because many of my favorite experiences have occurred with wine glasses clanking, marshmallows melting, corn kernels stuck in my teeth, and sumptuous sauces trickling through my fingers and down my arm. It's the simple and delicious things in life that make the best memories...and the best temptations (see those expertly crafted fries below that make all my will-power vanish!).

I was raised in a Jewish family, and anyone who is a careful study of religious history knows that even Noah didn't board the ark until his mother sent him off with a brisket sandwich, some noodle kugel, a bowl of matzah ball soup, and a loaf of challah. There might be a touch of revisionist history in that statement, but, truthfully, we joked in my family that with our mouths full of our lunch, we would fervently discuss what we would eat next for dinner. Every yin has its yang. Every day has its night. My family has its warm, filling, soul-satisfying "nosh". It was ingrained in me to associate feasting with my family...

...but then, I married an Italian.

It was inevitable that my hubby and I would find ourselves on our own savory journey, throughout our own city, and far and abroad when traveling, learning to appreciate delicate and bold flavors, and tasting culture, language, and culinary folklore with every bite.

Tonight's foodie stop: Cafe Hollander
The Deliciousness: Bitterballen, "Westsider" Bloody Mary, Grilled Pesto Chicken Sandwich, Pomme Frites with Indonesian Peanut Sauce and Curry Ketchup...mmm, leftovers!

What deliciousness satisfies the foodie in you?


Aliza

Friday Thoughts: Dear Spring...

Dear Spring,

Hurry up and get here.
We can't wait any more.
Neither can the tulips.

Aliza

Chloe | Eighteen Months

The city was caught in the slow sleep of winter. With the holidays on the horizon and the sun streaming down, Chloe toddled into the Mitchell Park Domes. Her baby curls and big brown eyes took in the wonder, warmth, and color of the cozily decorated Show Dome. Hundreds of red and ivory poinsettias lined every path. Her carefully paced steps turned into a trot as she sped off towards the center of the dome. Wide-eyed, she glanced up at the tallest Christmas tree she had ever seen. So many shiny ornaments and so much more to explore...

Chloe | Eighteen Months

Aliza

Nora Audrey | Newborn

Two and a half years ago, my husband (fiance at the time) and I purchased our first home. We scoured maps of our part of the world, searching for the perfect neighborhood, and ended up narrowing our quest to an area four blocks wide and twelve blocks long. Fortunately, we found "the one", moved in, and shortly thereafter, a brutal Wisconsin winter set in. Wading amidst the snow drifts, our snowblower routes crossed paths with all of our new neighbors. Bundled in layers of warmth, noses growing red, we shook hands and introduced ourselves. We realized that we not only had a welcoming and wonderful neighborhood...but that it truly is a small world, too.

Small enough that our neighbor across the street attended high school with my hubby! At the time, she and her husband had a beautiful new baby girl, Keira. Over these past couple years, we have had the unique opportunity to reunite or to enjoy a new friendship. Recently, they added onto their family, welcoming a sweet baby girl, Nora Audrey, shared below, at less than two weeks old. Welcome to the neighborhood, little one.

{To see more of baby Nora's shoot, click here to visit her gallery!}

Nora Audrey | Newborn

Aliza

Friday Thoughts: Thankful for Toothpaste

Today's thought is inspired by the history nerds within my husband and me as we are making our way through the John Adams miniseries DVDs. All I can say is I am so thankful someone had the idea to invent toothpaste after seeing the inside of those 60 year old colonials' mouths in high definition.

Visit again early next week as new shoots with some precious babies will make their debut! Happy weekend!

{Image courtesy of picture-book.com}

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
John Quincy Adams

Aliza