Maxwell Street Market

Is there an unwritten code that Sundays should be overcast and dreary? A day when all you want to do is sip on coffee and watch countless hours of the Olympics.

We decided to break that rhythm this Sunday (minus the coffee drinking, of course!). We wandered down to the Maxwell Street Market. Having both had plenty of experiences with the mercadillos of Spain, we thought we'd have this one pegged. One big difference: The Spanish spoken at this market does not resemble the Spanish of Spain, even if the bargains and merchandise do.

We had hoped there would be more fruits and foods, but instead it seemed like it was the week of socks, used tools, perfumes and knock-offs. (Sad to say, it appeared that a handful of items on sale - including car tires, camera lenses, and other gadgets - were either found during dumpster dives or involuntary giving.) It was an experience - a nice step out into something different. We did, however, enjoy the food. The gorditas, chicharrones and churros were delicious. (From strictly the AM perspective, I prefer Mexican churros - sweeter and easier to eat! Yum!).

All in all, it was a nice diversion to what could have been a very lazy and mundane winter Sunday.

What fun diversions to you enjoy on the weekend?

double delight

This one goes out to the incredibly crafty & sweet Papersheep. I've added the chocolate chips in with you in mind!

Lately banana muffins* have been my fall back plan. We never seem to be able to eat them all before they start getting overripe. This doesn't bother me in the slightest - it's an excuse to bake! I really like using a banana bread recipe and making muffins. I've found they last longer, stay fresher, and are a much better serving size.

Here's to one of my (many) comfort foods: baked good. Hoorah!

+On an unrelated note, I have to add that I *love* how this photo came out. Our metallic cheese grater was to the right and I love how it's reflection dances across the image. A very pleasant surprise when I took a closer look at the image on the computer. I heart photo surprises!

*This is not the exact recipe I used. I like to add cinnamon & all spice. If you'd like mine, I'd be happy to share. :)

Big city, small world

Note: This is not a tilt-shift (boy, it would be nice to have one of those lenses!). It's a photo of a miniature.

I guess this particular photo makes me think about how small we are in relation to everything, yet how interconnected everything is at that same time. Our existence in the universe is a mere dust spec, but our impact can be so much greater.

I am often reminded about a family trip to Italy. As we meandered through many long and narrow streets in quest for the city's "best gelato," I happened to run into an old friend from college. What are the odds that on a small street in Rome I'd run into a friend from across the big pond? Well, slim to none. Not to mention that my family and I were completed lost, my friend was not. It certainly was very pleasant surprise. Even if the gelato place had already closed for the day, it was a sweet reunion with a friend. :)

It's an experience like that which reminds me of just how small the world really is. You can live in a big city surrounded by strangers, but then venture out some given day and run into a familiar face. It's truly fascinating!

Where is the most random place you have run into someone you know?

i < 3 hearts

I love how sometimes the most mudane things can make such nice photos. This stained glass heart has probably been attached to this window for years, and it wasn't until a recent visit that we were inspired by its charm.

And, yes, having it being a bright, sunny day and watching the red reflection bounce off the walls certainly did help catch our eye.



With Valentine's Day now under our belts, we'd like to reflect on some of the things we love:
<3 Morning espresso, freshly ground
<3 Walks, both urban and rural
<3 Sweets! (Especially those made from home, like our citris cookies... mmm!)
<3 Lazy Sunday afternoons
<3 Red wine (from the homelands...Spain)
<3 Snail mail & homemade cards

Oh, and how the list continues.

What are some of your loves?

We are back on Etsy...

... and hopefully won't make it to regretsy ;)

We just relisted some older magnetic goodies and are proud (and very excited!) to announce our newest listing to our shop: Metallic Holga 5x5 Prints. Not to toot our own horns, but we've got to say these prints turned out absolutely amazing, and the photos of the photos do not do it justice.

We also had some larger prints made. (Sorry ya'll - they are for us, not for sale. :)). We'll be sure to post some pictures of these too, once we have them up on our walls.

If you are interested in any of these prints, please leave a comment. This way we can apply the necessary discount for our fans. :o)

Mardi Gras: Love

Sometimes you just need a photo to bring a smile to your face. Well, for me, this photo does just that.

You sure do have to love children. If you were to stick a camera (be it a funky camera: Super Sampler) in an adult's face, the result would be entirely different. I don't think the smile would be as wide, the emotion would be so raw, and the effect would be as genuine.

We were at an outdoor festival last summer when this photo was taken. I wish I could say that I remember how this kid reacted, but I have a funny feeling that I was not around when PM shot this photo. Instead, I like to imagine how not only did this kid serve as the perfect model, but how he also afterwards asked various questions about the strange looking, plastic camera.

Kids are curious, and more often than not very honest.

As the old saying goes: Only children and old folks can speak their minds and get away with it.

Hope this photo brings a smile to your face. What helps bring a smile to your face? Please share!

Oh, and Happy Fat Tuesday.

~am

something *sweet

I thought it was time to post something *sweet to this blog again.

We seem to have more recently posted around the theme of horses (exhibit A, exhibit B, exhibit C, and *gasp*, exhibit D). Which photo is your favorite? I am partial to B, but that's no suprise - doubles are my thing.

Anyways, I have declared a change of pace. No more horses.

My inspiration came today as I woke up to a beautiful sunny, yet still chilly day. My mind drifted to sunshine and spring. And to celebrate - it was a day for baking. I suppose the hearts and love designs slightly nod to Valentine's Day. :)

Baking, for me, truly is therapeutic. I enjoy being able to invent as I go along with a recipe. I very rarely follow a recipe. Instead it's just a suggested route to an end. Obviously the baking soda, baking powder and other standards don't change -- but the add-ins do. I am not afraid to try new things while baking. Sometimes my changes fail, but for the most part the end result is edible bliss.

Yes, I have a sweet tooth.

Here's to warm cookies, hot chocolate and an afternoon of warmth. And, naturally -the recipe:

Orange You Glad Sugar Cookies:
+ 1 c softened butter
+ 1.5 c sugar
+ 2 eggs
+ 1 t cream of tartar
+ 1 t baking soda
+ 1 t orange extract
+ 1/4 t salt
+ 2.75 c flour
+ zest of 1 orange
+ small splash of oj

Heat oven to 375F. Bake for 9 -12 mins. ENJOY! :)

Vagabundo

I have often wondered what it would be like to live out of a suitcase. If I had to downsize what could I leave behind? What would I have to have with me.

Naturally, I never thought about the suitcase being a horse & buggie.

I remember being at the stop light (in the car) and watching this man travel in the other direction. At first I could not believe my eyes. This is certainly not a sight that one would expect in the 21st century, but then again there is a culture of wanderers in Europe (aka Gypsies).

There wasn't much time to react, and I really wish we would have had more time to master this shot.

This photo helps to remind me on just how lucky so many of us are without even knowing it. We are fortune enough to have a roof over our head and an excess of "things." We don't have to travel from place to place to make ends meet.

Dream of Horses

If I had to dedicate myself to a creative form, it would without a doubt be double exposures.

I love how no two are the same. You can take the most photographed landmark in a city and make it different by overlaying another image on top of it. Double exposures are original, and very infrequently turn out just how you had in mind when you took both photos.

This particular double exposure did not just happen. I had been waiting in the plaza by the cathedral (yes, still in Spain!) for some time. I kept watching the horses and carriages come and go, come and go. It was a constant movement.

The horses were able to rest between rides, but a humid summer afternoon heat certainly is not the best condition for a restful rest. I started to wonder: Do these horses know how much better their life could be? Are they treated well, feed well, kept well? How do they endure day after day with the same routes, same tourists, same heat?

I took this particular photo thinking about how the horse and the wheel of the carriage essentially have the same job. Without one another the job could not be complete. If one is broken the workload becomes harder. Is this fair and right when one component is living and one isn't?

I think that photography should be more than just a click of a button. It should be beautiful at times, ugly during others. But, for me, more importantly - I think it needs to bring new meaning and thoughts to things we see in our daily lives.

Photography should make you think beyond the image.

Holga is back

We have about 10 Holga rolls from Spain to scan and more important, some time to do it, so expect some blurry pictures from the old world coming soon :)