Photo Challenge | Beautiful Eyes

This week's photo challenge from I Heart Faces is Beautiful Eyes.  Well, I feel quite lucky that I happened to do a family photoshoot this weekend with an amazing family.

The "W" family wanted photos for their soon-to-be 4 year old's birthday.  I figured kids that age would be energetic and rambunctious but this boy is athletic beyond belief, running at lightning speeds.  He is such a cutie - check out his beautiful eyes and adorable smile!  And those eyelashes!  

His birthday party will be Batman, and both Batman & Robin joined us for the photoshoot.  He refused to give mommy any kisses for awhile (because girls have cooties) but we got him to do that later.  He then refused to give daddy any kisses but instead socked him in the jaw a few times (his dad is a boxer).  Dad later showed a sad face which of course the boy thought was hilarious.  

Two days later and my legs are heavy as lead, sore as they could be.  Four year old - 1,  Maki - 0.  

Boats and Kayaks [travel photography]

My husband recently bought me Lightroom 3 (yay!) and I can see that it'll be an awesome organizational and editing tool - once I learn it :)   The one right below was taken from our cruise boat in Halong Bay.

We had returned from visiting a local, floating community and they are bringing us back to our cruise boat. I was lucky enough to be one of the first ones back to capture this scene.  I love the colors and the contrast between the two types of boats!

Longtail boats

These longtail boats have become somewhat of a trademark for the islands around Thailand.  This was taken in Ko Phi Phi on our way up to "the Viewpoint."  Well, we did get lost because while it's a must-see, no one seemed to know where it was exactly!

Photo challenge: Water

I heart faces (iheartfaces.com) is a great website for photography tutorials and challenges.  I've been checking out their website for some time and thought, well, I should enter some photos in their challenges to see what happens. If anything it's a great learning process.

This photo was taken in Halong Bay, Vietnam.  We visited a floating community (with a mayor and everything!) and while we were on these rowboats, this boy came out on his makeshift raft.  I met several other spritely kids in Asia, but this one was clearly suspicious of us foreigners.  

Dessert....♥

I love dessert.  If I'm asked what my weakness is during a job interview, I really am tempted to say, "sugar."  It really is my weakness....I cannot let it go, I will not go on any sort of non-carb diet, and maybe I'm just a sugar addict.

With the Panera Bread's rewards program, they gave me a free pastry.  I got a brownie.  I forced myself to split in half but my husband was kind enough to warm it up and put a small scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  It made my day.

Beautiful Sky

Austin, TX has been over 100°F and of course no rain.  But everyday the sky is absolutely beautiful here.  These clouds were so fluffy and storybook -like that I couldn't resist.

Now, if only it would rain!

Poached eggs

Since we were able to get our hands on fresh, pastured eggs I really wanted to poach them to get the full flavor.  Great idea...except this is one of those super basic cooking skills that is the most difficult to master.

We've tried everything from using those egg poaching things (a waste of money and space) and the old-fashioned salt/vinegar in simmering water method.  They never come out as pretty as when the Food Network chefs do them.  I've tried to get rid of those feathery egg whites to form a nice, elliptical poached egg.  Ah well, this is the best I could do.

The eggs tasted delicious, the asparagus were yummy and I was quite happy in the end.  Instead of using a stick of butter and more eggs to make hollandaise sauce we opted for a spicy-mayo sauce - delicious.  

Oh, and a note on pastured eggs.  The eggs aren't pastured, obviously, but the chickens are pastured, much like free range cows or sheep are pastured.  They are moved from one are to another so they don't kill the grass.  Apparently organic chickens aren't necessarily pastured so something to keep in mind when you're trying to decide on what to buy.