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Monday, July 29, 2013

Lua Handbags | South Florida Designer

Ladies, if you're looking for a DSLR camera bag, look no further than Lua Handbags. I first found Lua Handbags from a post by Kelle Hampton of Enjoying the Small Things. I had been casually looking for a new camera bag/purse. While I loved the look of the one I had, it was leather and weighed a ton before even adding my camera. Plus, it was not super roomy inside. Once I discovered Lua Handbags, with Kelle's stamp of approval, I knew I had to have one. I emailed Lola, the designer and owner. She was super sweet, and we chatted back and forth via email, and discovered we were both part of the Nova school system :).  I ended up purchasing a chevron camera bag and clutch. I couldn't wait for them to arrive, and I was immediately in love. The bag is super soft and light, and has a TON of room inside. I can fit so much, it's incredible. It has inner pockets and 2 outer pockets that are great for my phone and keys. The lens that barely leaves my camera body is the 24-70 f/2.8, and those who have it know that it's a beast. I love that I can put my camera in the bag standing up, with the lens hood on! (I am one of those sticklers for keeping lens hoods and caps on ;). ) It is SO easy to quickly grab my camera, pull it out of the bag and snap a picture. No awkward rearranging of everything just to get to my camera. I can also fit my flash, another lens, and then all the usual suspects - wallet, snacks, juice, wipes, jackets (yes, 2 kids light jackets!). And the best thing about this bag is that it feels like you are holding a comfy pillow. It is so soft and smooshy!


And onto the clutch. This thing is awesome to throw into your towel bag for trips to the beach or the pool. Before finding this clutch, I was putting my camera in an insulated lunch bag, gah!



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Monday, July 22, 2013

GrooveBook

My first GrooveBook arrived in the mail this week, and I love it! 

GrooveBook is a company that prints 100 of your iPhone pics in a neat little 4x6 book for $2.99/month. The app is very simple. You choose 100 photos from your camera roll, upload them via the app, and they print the book and ship it to your door! The book cover is a silver matte cardstock and the photos are glossy, but they are not your typical glossy print from an express print shop. They have a slight matte texture in the background. They are perforated so that they can be removed from the book. This is a perfect way for my kids to share the photos and display them however they like. They also have a date /time stamp, and the location the photos were taken.

My 4 year old is into taking pictures with my phone and always asks if I can print them for his photo album. GrooveBook makes printing the photos simple and economical for me. And he loves being able to hold his pictures in hand.

Want a free GroveBook? Use coupon code TICHIO5


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Monday, July 15, 2013

Sarastoa Trader Joe Favorites

I have been keeping a list in my head of things I love and feel passionate about that I someday want to "share" with the blogging world. So I decided, let's spice up this photography blog and share them here.  It's a hodgepodge of ideas: crafts, baking, favorites, photography tips etc. I'm hoping this will be a place to showcase my photography work, as well as whatever else is spinning around my head at the moment ;)

So, here we go....

We are newbies to Trader Joes, as one opened in Sarasota about a year ago. After the first visit, we were hooked. For almost a year now, we've been practicing our version of "clean eating", part of which includes non-GMO food and no HFCS, so TJs was right up our alley. We live 45 minutes away, so we try to get there once a month to stock up on our favorites. A dear friend from Seattle was kind enough to share her TJs favorites with me before my first visit, and it was a huge help. I am sharing my favorites in the hopes of helping others new to TJs, or veterans find something yet discovered.


Hummus, plain and black olive
Chunky guacamole
Wine Country chicken salad with cranberries and pecans
Shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses (cows not treated with rBST)
Cheese sticks (cows not treated with rBST)
Plain greek yogurt and cottage cheese (cows not treated with rBST)
Yogurt squishers
Organic probiotic smoothies
Turkey hot dogs
Shaved brussell sprouts
Organic brown rice marshmallow treats
Dark chocolate honey mints (don't pass these up)
Organic pops (I carry these in my purse and give them to my kids in lieu of dum dums)
Chocolate chips (for baking)
Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
Vanilla extract (alcohol free)
Organic coconut sugar
Organic midnight moo chocolate sauce (great mixed in almond milk for "chocolate milk")
Coconut oil spray
Greek feta dressing
Balsamic vinaigrette 
Tuscan Italian dressing with balsamic vinegar
Pitted kalamata olives in EVOO
Organic Kosher sandwich pickles
Organic mayonnaise
Organic yellow mustard
Organic ketchup
Organic baked beans 
Organic vegetable broth
Creamy unsalted peanut butter
Almond butter - raw creamy unsalted (I buy almost their entire stock b/c sometimes they are out of it!)
Organic reduced sugar raspberry and strawberry preserves
Organic applesauce (unsweetened) 
Organic fruit wraps (like fruit roll-ups, but no added sugars. They come in a variety of flavors and you buy them as singles for .50)

Frozen:
Vegetable Panang curry (amazing)
Polenta with spinach and carrots
Quinoa Duo
Organic brown rice
Frozen blueberries and strawberries 
French fries
Chopped spinach (pesticide free)
Organic foursome - corn, peas, carrots, green beans

Chips:
Roasted plantain chips (I could eat the entire bag)
Quinoa and black bean tortilla chips (awesome with hummus)
Organic blue corn tortilla chips
Veggie chips (for the kids)

almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios...

* Everything I buy is gluten free
 
** Please leave me a comment with your TJs favorites!!


Friday, July 12, 2013

Bradenton Photographer | Not So Corporate Headshots for Couples

I am so excited for Sabina and Lawaiian who are teaming up to be an unstoppable husband and wife team in their new venture. 







Thursday, July 11, 2013

Offner Family Session | Bradenton Family Photographer

Sweet Ema is going to be a big sister in a few short weeks. I can't wait to help this family welcome him to the world with their 'family of four' photos!