A Food Demo at BeetleCat | Lobster 5 Ways

In September, I had the opportunity to photograph a food demo at BeetleCat, an Atlanta seafood restaurant in Inman park. I arrived a little early, which gave me some time to walk around. Below the actual restaurant, is a retro-decked-out bar. The Den exudes a 1970s summery warmth. It was named one of Atlanta's sexiest bars by ZAGAT. This space is decorated with surfboards, vintage beach photographs and warm earth tones.

The food demonstration took place on the patio just outside the The Den and was lead by Andrew Isabella, BeetleCat's Executive Chef. Chef Andrew prepared his station while the serving staff set the tables to receive the dinner guests, who had purchased their dining tickets in advance. As the dinner guests arrived, they were warmly welcomed and seated to begin a dining experience for their palates to savor and remember. Drinks and plates were thoughtfully paired and explained to the guests. With each new glass that was filled and plate that was served, they received a preamble. Each preamble gave them the delicious details of the many flavors they were about to enjoy. This was anticipated by the guests; everyone responded with "ooh's" and "ah's" as each course was displayed at their place settings. I've included just a few highlights from the September evening of Lobster 5 Ways at BeetleCat. This upscale oyster bar is truly one of a kind. I am looking forward to the next one...

The Isabella Family | Pregnancy Announcement

GOOD NEWS! My nephew, Preston, has an important announcement to make. He is going to be a Big Brother (big smiles all around). We are all so very happy that our tribe continues to increase. Today, we also celebrate Kaylen & Andrews's 5th Anniversary. These are blessings from the Lord. Thank you, God, we know that every good and perfect gift comes from You. Amen. 

"May the LORD, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!" Deuteronomy 1:11

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

Tuesday's Hues | Rotary Phone

In September, I had the opportunity to photograph a food demo at BeetleCat, an Atlanta seafood restaurant in Inman park. I arrived a little early, which gave me some time to walk around. Below the actual restaurant, is a retro-decked-out bar. The Den exudes a 1970s summery warmth. It was named one of Atlanta's sexiest bars by ZAGAT. This space is decorated with surfboards, vintage beach photographs, warm earth tones throughout...then I saw the rotary phone. What?! So cool! It just brought back memories for me and I knew I had to make it the inspiration for one of my upcoming Tuesday's Hues. One of the bartenders preparing for the night caught me arranging the phone and finding the right angle to capture this vintage goodness. She quickly came over and made sure that the table was clean and clear before I took the shot.

 (Sidenote: If you have never dined here, YOU MUST! The food and specialty drinks are a mouthwatering experience. The serving staff is helpful, attentive and the most professional, courteous serving staff I have encountered at a restaurant. No exaggeration.) 

Hope your Tuesday is groovy!

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

Family Adventure Session | The "L" Family

Last Sunday, I met this great family in Atlanta's Inman Park. We started off their family session on the patio at BeetleCat where I got acquainted with this couple's precious sons. (Above image: They're sitting on a super cool table shaped like a surfboard.) After taking advantage of the beautiful light here, we took a little walk across the street where there is a colorful Hot Air Balloon painted on a corrugated metal wall. I just love shooting downtown. We then took a little further walk down the street to the Inman Park welcome mural of butterflies by Caveal (Chris Veal). The lighting and weather were really perfect for a session. I enjoyed hanging out with the "L" Family and I am happy to share some of the highlights from their session.

God is Good. Love is Life. 

-KB

Tuesday's Hues | Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Happy Tuesday! Last week, I mentioned that I visited Burt's Farm. While marveling at all the beautiful pumpkins and gourds, I asked Julian and John to help me pick a few for some fall inspired meals. One of my favorite soups comes from Panera Bread, Autumn Squash Soup. I decided to do some "Pinteresting" to get new ideas and recipes for soups since the weather is taking a cooler turn (Thank You, LORD!) For me, soup is a comfort food and perfect for cooler weather temps. I found a few recipes for Butternut Squash Soup and tweaked them a little for our taste buds. 

Julian & John picked a nice medium sized Butternut Squash.

John, fascinated by the squishy bits inside the squash after I cut into it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Butternut Squash (cubed)

1 TBS - extra virgin olive oil

1/2 - small white onion (diced)

1 cup - carrots

32 oz. - vegetable broth (plus, 8-12 more oz to thin out the thickness of the soup)

2 cups - apple juice or cider

1/2 tsp - curry powder

1/4 - cinnamon

1/8 tsp - nutmeg

1/2 cup - canned pumpkin

2 TBS - butter

4 TBS - whipped cream cheese

1 TBS - brown sugar

Dash of salt

Half & Half or Heavy Whipping Cream (depending how thick and creamy you want your soup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or soup pot on medium heat. Saute onions until soft (try not to over 

    cook or cause to burn).

2. Add vegetable broth, apple juice (or cider), squash, carrots and spices.

3. Bring to a boil. Reduced to simmer and continue to cook for 15 minutes or until you are able to           easily poke a fork through squash and carrots.

4. Remove for the heat source and add pumpkin, cream cheese and brown sugar. Blend soup mixture       in an electric blender a little at a time and return to saucepan, or use a hand blender to puree until         smooth. 

5. Add half & half (or heavy whipping cream) and salt to taste. Also, add more vegetable broth to           thin the soup out, if so desired.

6. Stir soup over low heat. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or with a           side of *sourdough bread.

*I made grilled cheese with sourdough bread to pair with the soup. They loved it!

Butternut Squash Soup. Delicious! 

*If you like this and decide to give this recipe a try, I'd love to hear what you think.

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

2016 Fall Sessions with Karrie B | FINE ART

Autumn is HERE! The fall season and holiday seasons are upon us...the most wonderful time of the year. Family time, gathering with loved ones, lots and lots of yummy food and cooler temps. (Can I get an AMEN!) I have a few sessions left in October. I would love the opportunity to capture some beautiful, candid, lifestyle photographs of you and your loved ones. This is a great photo opportunity for HOLIDAY CARDS, aaaaannnnnddddd....photographs make great gifts. 

Contact me to reserve your session today!

The sessions below are from past fall sessions. To see more, you can visit my facebook page.

You can also visit this blog post for the latest family session.

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

Tuesday's Hues | Harvest of Gourds

More often than not, I work on Saturdays. This past Saturday, I received a text from my mom that some of my family members were planning to go to Burt's Farm in Dawsonville, Ga, She wanted to know if I cared to join the fun. Uummm, yeah! I really do enjoy going on spontaneous adventures and had never been to Burt's Farm before. Saturday was the beginning of some beautiful fall weather; it seemed suiting to get out to do a fall activity. My boys and I drove with my sister, Kaylen, and her baby boy. It was a nice scenic drive into the mountains. The property has rows of pumpkins and gourds ranging in colors. It was such a beautiful sight to me. The above image was taken under a shelter for protection from the sun. How lovely are these colors of harvest! 

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

Family Adventure Session | George is ONE!

Hello there! This is George...isn't he adorable!! I met him and his family last Sunday morning at their home. Driving into their neighborhood reminded me of driving into my grandparents' neighborhood when I was a kid. The homes, the space between neighbors, the smell of the morning dew on fresh cut grass, the sounds of nature...it's a lovely environment. George's parents were so kind and welcoming as I entered their home to get my gear ready for the family adventure session. George was just as sweet; he let me hold him within the 5 minutes of my standing in the dining room with the camera in hand. As I looked around, I saw remnants of George's First Birthday party in the living room. The play area was blocked off with kid-friendly gates and George's toys scattered on the floor. Home. I saw a banner of photographs hanging on the mantle. Curious, I walked closer and noticed that they were George's month by month highlights of his first year. This touched my heart. Their home is well lived in and well loved in. 

First, we walked out to the backyard to make some photographs in front of the barn. Afterwards, we took a drive to the neighborhood lake, walked around. A flock of ducks flew in towards the section of the lake where we were making photographs. I think they might have thought we had bread to feed them. We made our way back to the house. Mom and dad wanted to save the balloon for last. Shiny floating balloons with strings, how fascinated children are by them. I captured that wonder on George's face as he looked up at the blue #1 above him while he yanked on the string watching the balloon bob up and down. Overall, I had a splendid time with this precious family. Thank you for allowing me to capture these moments for you.

Happy First Birthday, George!

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

Tuesday's Hues | Apple Tree

As a young girl, I spent a couple weeks of summer break in the mountains of North Carolina. We, my family and I, would stay at a home my grandparents had there. My siblings and I would play "kick the can" with the kids across the street at dusk. I carry fond memories of our time in the mountains. The apple tree that inspired this color bar is in the neighbor's front yard; I hadn't noticed it before. I came across it walking down the dirt road. The apples on the tree are so small, but sweet. The things you discover walking down memory lane...

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

The Buzz | Fine Art Prints: The Owl

Original Painting: 11 x 14 Acrylic on Canvas

The Owl, finished art work, just in time for the Fall Season!

You can find The Owl and other animal prints in my etsy shop.

Fine Art Prints are printed on specialty paper. Available in 5 x 7 (shown below) or 8 x 10

Thank you for your love and support.

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

Tueday's Hues | St. Augustine Sunrise

Bright. Vibrant. Color. It's amazing how many color combinations your eyes can take in and appreciate all at once. Divine, isn't it?! I cannot take enough frames of the things and the people I love. Looking back and flipping through pictures and videos of great memories is something I do every day. Just the other day I came across a beautiful quote that resonated with me about capturing memories. 

"Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself - what you're wearing, who you're around, what you're doing. Recreate and repeat." - Warson Shire

The sunrise images were taken during a summer trip to St. Augustine, FL. The kids were walking on the cement wall around Castillo de San Marcos. This shot was not posed at all...we played a little game of "1, 2, 3, freeze!"   Heehee!

This was such a fun trip. We packed up fruit and granola bars and headed to the beach after the sunrise. The kids played in the sand and jumped waves in the ocean for about an hour before they were hungry for breakfast #2. 

I am so thankful for beautiful memories like these. 

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB

The Buzz | Fruit Art With A Hidden Heart

The chalk pastel drawings. It all started with The Peach. One sleepless night, I got up out of bed, went down to the basement to rummage through some old art supplies, and found a box I had stored my chalk pastels in along with some other media I used in college. I also found an old tablet of Strathmore Pastel paper, assorted colors. On my way back up the stairs, I stopped in the kitchen to brew some hot tea, grabbed a peach and then headed back to my room. I pulled my art board out and and sifted through the pastel paper with the tips of my fingers. I took out a sheet of peach colored pastel paper and started to sketch the peach. I emphasized the heart shape of the fruit. If you know me, hearts are kind of my thing. My process and technique are blending the colors with my fingers while keeping the original sketch lines in tact. I followed suit with the other fruit drawings as well, but hid my hearts in the light reflections. Can you find them?

Hearts remind me of LOVE and LOVE reminds me of every good person and thing I have in life, thanks to God. 

I will have these prints up in my shop and a chance to win a print on Friday morning!

God is Good. Love is Life.

-KB