I had a meeting today over at 3M's headquarters, which are located just spitting distance from Wisconsin. You think I'm joking, but I am not. And driving home from this meeting in rush hour? Through two downtowns? Not so awesome. But at least I had some good company.As much as I detest the drive over to their offices, though, I do love exploring their world. As dated as some of the interiors of this campus are (some, btw, are totally magnificent!), I still love the architecture of these older buildings. The graphic nature is fantastic, and I loved the light blue of this building against the sky and clouds.For your internet share of the day, did you know NASA is hiring? I clearly lack the math skills required for such a job, but imagine the photos I could take!And I really, really want to make this dip. Yum.
Tonight we made the best chicken chili I have ever had in my life. IN MY LIFE.But we should start at the beginning.Way back in 1997, it was New Year's Day (wait, that makes it 1998) and I met up with Jamie and his former college roommate at the roommate's aunt's cabin in northern Michigan. We watched football, drank beer and ate a ton (as you do on New Year's Day in the woods). His aunt made this chicken chili which was so amazing that years and years and years later, we have tried to replicate it and failed many times. Sure, we have made decent substitutes, but nothing as good as that holiday in the woods.And then, this summer, the former roommate came to visit us. Somehow, we mentioned how we both still crave that chili, and he texted his aunt and voila! The recipe was ours! (Why didn't we do this sooner, you ask? Yeah. We are kicking ourselves for that as well.)We made our first batch 2 weeks ago, and it was heaven, and I promised it would be on the blog the next time I cooked it. And here you go.But the best part? You guys. This is the EASIEST RECIPE IN THE WORLD. And the leftovers are amazing. You are really gonna owe me for this one.So here we go.Combine all of this in a crockpot to cook on low for a few hours or in a pot to put on the stovetop on low for 2 hours. Up to you (just make sure you stir it if you go with the stove top).
Last weekend, on Halloween, you might remember that I hosted a photo booth for all the kids in costume. We had a BLAST! I had so much fun seeing everyone dressed up and posing for the camera. But today, I would like to share with you the hilarious outtakes.These are photos that maybe mom and dad don't really want to frame, but that make me laugh and laugh and laugh. And yes, I love photos of crying babies. I'm weird like that. Just know that for all the tears, we got smiles in the end.
This little blue monster looks like she's gonna beat me up!
Ah, so much fun.For your internet shares today, I have a bunch.First, check out 
This was one of my favorite shots from last week's wedding. I know I normally post one of the couple kissing, where, you know, you can see their faces... but I loved this angle. I loved her rings and her perfect manicure and those gorgeous flowers and the amazing teal velvet curtains behind them. I promise this is a very attractive couple! I just didn't put in the standard shot because sometimes I like something a little different.No internet share today. In case you haven't heard, I'm hosting a Halloween photo booth tomorrow (3-5 pm! Bring the kids in costume! Only twenty bucks!) and I need to go get my spooky setup ready.I hope you all have a fabulous Halloween full of delicious candy and wonderful treats!
In case you didn't know, I'm not much for tchotchkes / trinkets / figurines etc. Sure I have stuff around the house -- some of it from vacations, but mostly gifts. Honestly? My shelves are almosts completely books and photos (go figure). But those figurines up there? That was the best gift imaginable that my mom gave me for our wedding anniversary.Those deer (which are just lovely, I think) were my grandmother's and then passed down to my mom and have decorated her home for many years as well. I love the modern lines and the shape of each one. There are actually five in the set, but these three are my favorites. Now to figure out where I can put them that will be far from toddler hands...For your internet shares of the day, I love 
Ooooooh, I had a fun shoot this morning. An adorable baby AND an adorable boxer? PINCH ME, PLEASE.This baby was so alert and beautiful and well behaved (and only two weeks old!). And this boxer... her name is Betty and I have adored her for years. She is going to be about the best big sister ever. Anyway, it was a very good time.
(I love how newborns always look like they are scheming!)For your internet share of the day, here's 
As you may imagine, I am in the thick of family portrait season. This means that I'm photographing several families each week to ensure they have some great images for their holiday cards. Some of these sessions are amazingly fun. Some are a little more challenging (toddlers have minds of their own! It's no big deal, you just have to be super flexible and roll with the changes).But a few weekends ago I was lucky enough to photograph one of my favorite families in their home on a beautiful Saturday morning. The light was amazing, the kids were in good moods, and ... they have an adorable dog (ding, ding, ding). A seriously adorable dog. Like, I would take this dog home with me right now.In general, I'm really lucky to be so smitten with many of my clients. It's a true gift to have repeat customers and to get to know the parents over many years and to watch the kids grow up. That little girl up there? I shot her and her brother when she was a newborn, and it's great to see how they've developed and how much they love each other. And? This family has another newborn! And the three of them together? Adorable.
Anyway, working on these kinds of sessions brings so much joy. So I decided to share these images with you today instead of a fresh daily shot. Don't worry, you'll get that tomorrow.
And for your internet share today, 
You may 
This shoot not only required making the products look beautiful (duh), but we also needed to set up many projects (keeping in mind many, many props) and we had to visually communicate certain properties of the products -- like the sheen of the various kinds of clear tape. That was a tricky one (which you can see the final result of 
To see a gazillion of my photos, wander on over to 
Very special thanks goes out to the talented folks over at