Man the weather tonight was fantastic!  It seems like the last few years it was either really cold, humid or raining.  The kids had a blast and before they got started I made them practice one of the following:

Trick - L - Treat (no daddy that's wrong)

Trickle - Treat (No Daddy THAT's wrong)

Trick - R - Treat (NO DADDY)

Trixies - Feet (UGHH!  Your a DORK daddy)

Whitney's Practice Run

James' Practice Run

The kids had a lot of fun but Whitney got a little scared of the big kids in their scary costumes.  I was more scared of the kids that came without any costume on at all. 

Posted by danny at 05:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We came across the coolest site from the great culinary photographers at The Still Life With blog site.  If you ever want to see some fantastic food photography and get some great recipes please check out L. 

Tastebook is a new site that lets you build your own cookbook.  It even puts the recipes in categories with tabs.  We have started working on ours and will let everyone know when it is ready.   

And yes we will have a section with our ever famous strict family menu. 

For those of you that don't know about our family menu we originally got the idea from my grandmother GiGi.  Growing up I always heard my uncles and aunts talk about the dinner table rules.  While they probably didn't realize it then the concept of a strict dinner plan is quite important.  With our hectic days and Denise's travel we had to come up with a standard for our kids.  Every night was a challenge to make a good meal they would like and it not take all night to cook.  So I developed a menu specific to their likes, health needs and weekly schedule.  I can just her them now telling people they know what day of the week it is by what they have for dinner. 

Here is the weekly menu:

Sunday:  BBQ Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Broccoli

Monday: Meatloaf, potatoes, salad or green beans

Tuesday: Spaghetti and peas.

Wednesday:  Free night (we usually eat at church or go out to dinner)

Thursday:  Pork Chops (Sorry Daddy Clark) corn, broccoli

Friday:  Fajitas, black beans, salad

Saturday:  Free night or hot dogs

Desert is available only after baths and the choices are Jello or Yogurt

When I came up with the menu I thought about all the things that my grandmother would have had 50 years ago.  There were no microwaves, processed foods or fast food joints so we tried to keep everything simple.  The best thing to do is stay on the outside isles of the store.  This way you only get whole food that is healthy and easy to cook.  You would be surprised at how easy these meals are.  Each one only takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get done and there is plenty of time to play with the kids.  The other thing we found was that sticking to the menu reduced our weekly grocery bill to about 50 dollars a week.  You would be surprised how much you spend on crap at the store. 

The menu was built to carry food over the week.  Sunday's dinner is lunch for Denise and I for a couple days.  Monday's meatloaf actually makes two good size loafs.  We freeze one and only eat half on Monday.  Tuesday's spaghetti has the leftover meatloaf in the sauce.  Pork chops can carry over to Friday's dinner.  The only prepackaged food we purchase is the pre marinated fajita meat. 

Overall the kids love the meals.  James is eating his vegetables and we never get home not knowing what we are having for dinner.  Not every week runs as smoothly but since we started this about 3 months ago we have spent very little time dealing with the problems most people have at dinner.  Probably the best thing is that we make it a house rule that everyone has to sit together at the dinner table.  The kids participate in getting the table set while we cook.  And the time we get to chill with our little munchkins is priceless.

Sometimes all this technology and easy living we have now isn't always the best thing for the family.  Slowing it down and keeping it simple is just as good as buying something to make it easier.  Thanks GiGi for being so awesome!

Posted by danny at 08:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We enjoyed the company of Jack the other day here in the studio.  Jack and his parents were a lot of fun to hang out with and he has really grown over the last few months.  The love sac was a big hit with everyone!

 Jack got his two front teeth but he still can't whistle. 

I love this next picture.  It looks like he was holding the camera and taking the picture himself. 

Jacks mom and dad brought in a traditional Korean suit.  It was very colorful and fun but Jack wanted nothing to do with the costume.  I think it was the hat.

We laughed a lot and enjoyed the afternoon.   Thanks for stopping by Jack!

Posted by danny at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by danny at 08:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently we purchased a giant bean bag like chair called a Love Sac.  These are giant pillow like chairs that are really comfy.  A lot of our clients have small children that vary in age. 

A lot of times we get a 6 month old with a 2 year old.  Its tough to rely on the older siblings to carefully hold or sit together.  So we got this giant sac that will fit four adults or a bunch of little kids.  The nice thing is that we get to use our play room more with natural light.  All these images were taken with morning window light and a big 4X6 reflector.

I got home really late last night from shooting  wedding so Whitney and I skipped church to go get some work done at the studio.  Below are some of the fun images I took of my sweet baby girl.  I think Adam Carroll said it best when he said "I love the way that your dirty blond hair never hides your pretty face."

She has her Papa's eyes.

Oh and pictures are always better with a tutu.

Posted by danny at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friday afternoon was the Roberts International Festival.  We were told this was a really big deal at the school so we planned an afternoon off to enjoy the festivities.  The school even let out at noon to get ready for the festival.  I went and picked up Whitney at noon and took her back to the studio.   She was ready for the party and did not like me photogrpahing her while watching Peter Pan.

The day before the festival Whitney had a little passport she needed to decorate for the festival.  She had to put her native flag on the front and a photo on the inside. 

The first person we ran into was Brandon.  He was chowing down on ice cream and Whitney decided that was the destination of the day. 

Ice cream was at the American booth so we started looking, but realized this was going to be interesting with all the people in the school.

Our first destination of interest was Russia.  They had plenty of treats like this pastry that Denise said tasted not so good and these little round pretzels.  Whitney took one bite and said she thought ice cream would be better.

After Russia was Armenia.  They had some different fruit juices to taste.  A gentleman handed me this little cup with a thick yellow liquid and said "Try it, Try it" so I did and I thought it was pretty good.  IT was a peach nectar drink that tasted a lot like peach cobbler.

Next up was Australia.  This booth was too funny with the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie dolls.  The kindergartners made these little dolls. 

The funniest thing was the little green leafs covering the dolls "personal space" or "Private parts."  They had these rice treats in little cups but I noticed everyone trying them didn't seem to like them too much.  

We headed outside and ran into Nadia.  Whitney and Nadia hang out with each other in the morning.  They seem to be pretty good buddies.

A little farther down the sidewalk we met up with Frania.  She did a great job drawing her version of Old Glory. 

We headed around the school and then ran into Korea.  This was a very colorful country with some pretty cool clothes and little dolls.  Denise had a beef dish that was apparently pretty good.

Japan was across the way and they had all this really cool Origami.  The papers were colorful and bright. 

This little girl had these rice crackers that you could try.  I took a pack and handed one to Whitney.  I took a bite and then immediately took the cracker from Whitney.  It tasted like salt water.  I couldn't even think of something to put on it to make it taste better.   Next stop was the water fountain.

We met up with Dylan from Whitney's class.  He was excited about being at the festival with his mommy.

Our next stop was Pakistan where Whitney got a Mehndi Tattoo. While we waited we tried these awesome little milk treats.  By the look on Whitney's face you could tell she was NOT going to try them. 

Whitney's tattoo was very pretty.  According to Whitney it is supposed to stay on her hand for A LONG TIME. 

Holland was next with this colorful house.  No candy or anything though.

Egypt was next and they had all these really neat spices.  They are pretty common but they had a neat presentation.  It is especially cool when the photographer knocks one of the dishes over. 

They also had big crates dates you could try.  I love dates but for some reason they remind me of roaches so I typically stay away from them.

Finally we arrived at America with their apples and tails of grandeur.

Across from America was the Republic of Texas!  This was the greatest country of them all. 

It was also the source of the ever popular ice cream!

They had hot dogs as a symbol of BBQ (I guess).  Either way it was much better than those rice crackers.

Next door to Texas was Mexico.  They had some pretty good grub and a big ol bowl of chips.  Something tells me that wasn't too authentic but that's okay.

Ecuador was next and had some of the best coco treats I have ever tasted.  They also had these plantain and bacon balls that I could have done without. 

We were done inside and went out to the stage.  There was a group of fighters doing a demonstration.  This girl kicked a piece of woods butt!  If I was a piece of wood, I definitely wouldn't want to piss this girl off.

These two guys were going at it.  Whitney and I were sitting right in front of these two guys.  I had a hard time not taking bets. 

After the guy with the red vest stomped the taller guy in the ground this girl came out of nowhere ready get it on. 

I don't know why, but this just seemed like a lose lose situation for the guy.  If he beats her he is just a guy that beat up a girl.  If he loses he is a pathetic loser that got beat up by a girl.  It doesn't take much to realize you shouldn't get yourself into these types of situations. 

Frania was sporting this awesome dot on her head that she got inside.  I was a little jealous but realized I would look pretty silly with a dot on my forehead.

Whitney's tattoo was ready and we rubbed the crust off to see how well her skin was stained.  It looked cool and she was a happy little camper. 

We were sad to leave but had a lot of fun.  Can't wait for next year!

Posted by danny at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Denise and I grabbed a couple cameras and raced over to the West University Little League fields to catch a quick glimpse of the Maroon Monkeys.  We helped sponsor the team and have been wanting to get a little personal time with these fine athletes.  The sun was leaving us fast so we had to improvise on the exposure.  It was a blast watching the game and we wish all these girls the very best!

Coach was giving the girls a little pep talk.  Some were not too interested in what he had to say.

Apparently the Maroon Monkey battle cry is one that strikes fear in the hearts of their opponents.

The game was rather intense and basically consisted of a series of sideline kicks with bursts of energy. 

Evan was ready for the challenge and took a ball head on like a real champ.

Each kick was a tense moment. Every now and then someone would get hurt but there was always another eager girl on the sidelines ready to play.

Yet another corner kick.

Half time rolled around and the girls were excited to be refreshed. 

Sometimes coach has to stop being coach and be daddy.  We can't always have fun on the field.

Coach had to hold off on the daddy work and go over the multitude of plays and strategies for the second half.  I think it went something like this, "These girls are fast so run hard and kick the ball." 

 We had a great time and can't wait to do it again.

Posted by danny at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This time of year we stat trying little recipes for the holidays.  With parties, events and gifts, different recipes come in handy.  We tried a new one today that even the kids enjoyed making.  Its relatively easy and they are pretty good too.

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies - a Southern Living Recipe

1 - (16 oz package peanut shaped peanut butter sandwich cookies (Nutter Butters)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 - (14 oz) can sweetened  condensed milk

1 - Tbls. vanilla extract

5 -  Packages of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups chopped (refrigerate first)

2 - (2.1 oz.) Butterfingers Bars chopped

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut.

Combine crushed cookies and butter in a medium bowl.  Press crumb mixture into bottom of a greased aluminum foil-lined 13"X9" pan, allowing foil to extend over ends of pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes.

Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. stirring until smooth.

Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate morsels, peanuts, and coconut over crust.  Drizzle condensed milk mixture over coconut and candy mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 27 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in pan.  Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan.  Peel foil away from sides of uncut brownies, and cut into bars. 

The bars are pretty good but really sweet.  The kids enjoyed making them because the measuring was easy.  I think the hardest part for them was waiting for the bars to cool. 

Posted by danny at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was the first day of the pet portraits at the Hollywood Frame Gallery.  We had a lot of fun but tomorrow is going to be crazy.  Throughout the day I grabbed a sample of some of my favorites.  Every one of these dogs had a unique personality.  We have a full load tomorrow from 10 to 5. 

This big yellow dog was pretty sweet.  He liked to play and really liked our treats!

This was Sir Winston.  He was a pretty cool little dog and was even sporting a little bling.

This was another one that had super personality.  He had a hard time paying attention but managed to give me that "you done taking my picture dude" look.

We had three Golden's that were rescue dogs.  Each was pretty sweet and very excited.  Its funny how they calm down once we take the cameras away.  Still they put out some pretty good smiles.

This guy was a pretty cool dog.  He was a little wound up but had a great smile.

This next little girl was an old dog.  She couldn't use her back legs but she sure was loved.  Everyone enjoyed watching her get her portrait taken.  She even threw us flashy smile.

This next little one was pretty funny.  It was an odd mix but knew how to give a high five.

This awesome guard dog came in.  He look really tough but was just a big ham.  His dad had these great boots so we had to get them in together. Very cool.

After lunch Boudreaux came in and was super excited to smell the burger on my breath.  Note to self, don't eat a burger while photographing dogs.

Lucy came in later this afternoon.  She was one of our favorites and was sporting this very slick spiked pink collar.  Unfortunately her head is bigger than her neck and you don't really get it here.

Our last couple of dogs for the day were all white so the paper wasn't' going to work.  Since we were closing it up for the day I tried out a new drop Denise bought the other day. 

So tomorrow is a full day and we are going to have fun.  Hopefully we won't be over taken by slobber and dog treats.  Keep tuned in for more tomorrow.

Posted by danny at 06:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week has been a bit of a wild ride.  First up this week were the Johnson girls.  These characters were what we like to call Photo-generous!   Not only were they ultra cool kids but they loved the camera.  

Little Morgan enjoyed the bright lights and camera glare.  Dad was a real sucker for this smile and I can totally see why.  What a personality at such a young age!

Abigail was all business with her tough girl looks.  She wasn't too excited about the hat but did enjoy our conversation about Hannah Montana!

Mackenzie is ready for the fashion world.  She was all rock n roll with the camera.  The best part is that she is one of the athletes on the soccer team we sponsor.  That's right she is one other than a Maroon Monkey!  Go Maroon Monkeys!

Soon after the Johnson family one of James' teacher came by with their new little man. 

Kamron was a pretty special guy and really did not want to go to sleep.  We spent more time trying to get him to sleep than actually taking photos. 

We still had fun and everyone couldn't stop laughing wen Kamron decided to pee all over dad.  Fun for everyone!

Welcome to the world Mr. Kamron!  We are all glad your here.

For the next two days we will be photogrpahing a bunch of puppies at the Hollywood Frame Gallery. 

It is going to be a crazy couple of days but we will survive.  If your in the area stop by and check things out.  I will be at 2427 Bissonnet all day Friday and Saturday.

Posted by danny at 05:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)