At Home in the Kitchen

I don't typically find myself shooting food.  But being at home with a mom who is an incredible baker and so fun to witness in the kitchen makes it hard not to pull out my camera and catch her in the act.  Christmas cookies have a pretty special place in both of our hearts, as it's the one thing we always look forward to doing together this time of year.  And while we have a fleet of recipes to choose from and normally end up spending an entire day baking, this year, specifically due to the 70 degree weather that is forcing us to enjoy the outdoors, we decided to keep our time in the kitchen minimal and went with this simple ginger cookie recipe. 

Low Country

These images are from one of many morning walks at home in South Carolina, when the tide was rolling out and the quietness makes you wish you could stop time.  Living on the water has consistently been a part of my life.  At one point it was a beach, at another a pond, and then a lake.  And while all of them have served a different role in my life, I am particularly fond of and taken aback by how much I love living on a marsh now.  The high tides and low tides, the abundance of shellfish, the presence of spanish moss, the tall grass, and most notable, the serenity and stillness of it all.  The peacefulness of it all is really unlike anything I have experienced before. 

New York / First Signs of Winter

New York City had it's first snowfall of the season yesterday!  It's really hard to believe that winter is upon us, especially because November 12 seems frighteningly early for snow. Fingers are crossed this doesn't mean we have a brutal winter ahead of us.  But despite what this may mean, I had a friend visiting from Texas who never gets to see snow and who was a great reminder of how fun it can be.  Sometimes. 

San Francisco /

Several more of my favorite images from San Francisco.  Kirsten and I made the discovery while we were there that I have a thing for taking picture of cars (or really just modes of transportation in general). Looking at all of my film, I really do have a surprisingly large amount of them.  Maybe it will turn into a series... but for now, that beautiful blue vintage car will have to serve as a little sneak peek.   

San Francisco / Four Barrel Coffee

Life without coffee sounds incomplete.  And I can only think of a handful of days since I started drinking it that didn't include it.  When I am on vacation, coffee is especially important, not only to keep me going through the long days of exploring, but also because the coffee culture is so fun to explore in different cities.  In New York, I find that it's a lot of the coffee to-go and the shops on every corner, whereas in San Francisco, there seems to be more of an appreciation for enjoyment, with every coffee shop offering pour-overs and coffee shops playing an essential role in their neighborhoods.  

Lucky for us, San Francisco really is dripping in good coffee.  And with all of the coffee, comes some top-notch roasters, Four Barrel being one of them.  We visited their store (which doubles as  the site where they roast) on Valencia Street in the Mission District.  The space was beautiful and open and I couldn’t help but comment on much room they have – Ive gotten so used to the small and quaint coffee shops of New York that it felt almost unnatural for a coffee shop to be so big.  They roast their beans in an open area in the back of the shop and have seating that overlooks the production process.  Plus, they have taxidermy and beautiful photography throughout the space, so it’s just really a win-win situation for anyone looking to really appreciate and enjoy their coffee in a place that has a ton of character. Sidenote: It's easy to overlook because the coffee is so good, but their pastries are to die for.