how to enjoy a s'more.

There's something beautiful about the simplicity of roasted s'mores. They're easy to make. That delicious golden-crusted marshmallow is about the best thing your tongue can imagine enjoying. And they invoke all sorts of wonderful memories for me of campfires and summertime. I didn't take these images with a blog post in mind--if I had, I would have styled them much differently. So just consider these to be spontaneous snapshots of a family campfire and the understated art of roasting s'mores...

Begin with a graham cracker, half a chocolate bar, and two fresh marshmallows...

Roast them on a stick over an open fire...not too close to the flames...

Until they are crusty and golden-brown and about to melt right off of the stick...

With great care, layer the cracker, chocolate, and roasted marshmallows...and smash them all together...the messier and gooier the better!...

You cannot fully enjoy a s'more while nibbling, so take giant fantastic bites [about three or four]...

Until it's all gone! Then repeat from the beginning...because every s'more deserves a second one [or a third...]. ;)

Naomi & Joe || Grand Valley wedding preview

Just a tiny preview of the wedding I helped shoot with my friend Lydia yesterday...

Market Day in the City of Bridges

I don't really know why, but I claim four different towns/cities as "my" cities: Titusville, Erie, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh. I've spent so much time in most of those cities, that it seems I must surely know them like the back of my hand... But yesterday was the first time that I actually ever explored downtown in the city of Pittsburgh. And I sort of fell into love. I love that city of mine, the city of 446 bridges. With chai lattes and camera in hand, my sister and I played the perfect part of tourists, stumbling upon an open-air market, eating homemade cookies purchased there, and taking mental notes of things we'd like to do and see when we come to the city again...

sunset beauty & baby love

"At sunset nature is painting for us,

day after day, pictures of infinite beauty."

|| John Ruskiin

Last evening I had the opportunity to take a few photos of some of the adorable baby girls in my life...Eva, Abby, and Heidi [and a couple extras, just for fun!]. The setting sun was so delicious, I wanted to eat it all up for dessert! Eva's many silly faces had us all laughing, and all of that extra attention made little Eva even sillier. It was so much fun...and these are just a few of my favorite photographs from the evening.