Red Sash Photography by kristin blessing

What a difference a week makes!!!

2011-02-20T21:37:00.004-06:00

I think this is self explanatory...here's hoping spring is on it's way!!!!

I fought the rice, and the rice won.

2010-05-26T15:40:00.009-05:00

I prepared this dish on Sunday night, that I thought would be SO tasty....I looked forward to it all week. I called up my brother and invited he and his family to dinner, they accepted the invitation.

I marinated my pork. It was perfect.

I began the task of preparing the rice that was to accompany this meal.

So....here's the deal...spicing confuses me. I know how to work with the herbs....I love garlic, I even salt things now.....I was convinced at one point that salt was going to kill me...so I never salted...until my brother the cook told me that salt enhances natural flavor and in moderation it will not kill me so I needed to get over myself.

When it comes to a habenero pepper I don't have a clue. This recipe called for one whole habenero. Again with the Midwesterner's and our lack of spice in our dishes....so I diced the pepper oblivious to what was about to happen.

I added olive oil to my sauce pan...and I began to saute the habenero.....and then....then I did something so stupid, yet so me. I stuck my nose in the pot and took a wiff....and then I died.
Ok. I didn't die, but I did burn my lungs with habenero steam. This dish also has lime juice and cilantro in it...so I thought maybe that would cool the habenero.

Once the rice and habenero were done cooking I added them to the cilantro mixture...it smelled delicious, so I gave it a taste...one or two grains of rice....ouch! too spicy!

Two Mojitos later the burn subsided and I felt great.

I began grilling my pork, and then I came in to do some dishes...I scraped the seeds from the pepper down the garbage disposal with HOT water running, and then I inhaled more habenero steam. I never learn my lesson.

My family arrived and I warned them...this rice is hot. My sister-in-law skipped the rice, so as not to later in the evening make my nursing nephew have major indigestion, Mike somehow devoured it, my brother referred to it as "stranger danger rice" and I was too afraid to eat it.

I will try this again...but I think I'll skip the devil habenero and just use chili powder.

The pork was great by the way! Sorry pork for your lack of recognition in this blog!
See Recipe Below:

Scallion Cilantro Rice with Habaneros and Lime

1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 habanero pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 scallions, diced
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

In a small heavy pot add oil and saute pepper on medium heat. Add rice, water and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce flame to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off stove and keep covered an additional 5 minute.In a medium bowl, combine chopped scallions, cilantro, lime juice, rice and toss until completely mixed. Makes approx 3 cups.

Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops

4 (6 oz) lean boneless pork chops
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 lime, juice of
lime zest
salt and fresh pepper Trim any fat off pork. In a large bowl season pork with cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Squeeze lime juice and some zest from the lime and let it marinade at least 20 minutes.Line broiler pan with foil for easy clean up. Place pork chops on the broiler pan and broil about 4-5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.

Enjoy at your own risk!

xoxoxoxoxo

Kristin Blessing

Baby Brothers

2010-05-25T14:10:00.008-05:00

Happy Birthday to my baby brother who is not a baby anymore, but 26 years old.

I remember the day this photo was taken......

Stephen, I remember the years of teasing you....dressing you up in my leotards and tutu's and putting make-up on you just like you were my own personal little doll...but I only did that because you streaked through the living room naked at my 7th Birthday party playing the snare drum.......and the teasing continued.....but only because of that time when you were chasing me down the street while I was on my bike and you almost caught me, but then I hit that parked car flew over the hood and cracked my head on the sidewalk.

Then you were a teenager and getting bigger but still I teased you because you thought you were too cool for your dorky big sister, except when you wanted to borrow my car. I interrogated your girlfriends and tried to chase them all away because I never thought they were good enough for you.

Your Junior year in high school, I was single and it was Valentines day and you invited me bowling with you, I know how colossally uncool that was but, that's when I knew what a great brother you were.

You still are by the way and besides that you're bigger than me and I've decided it is no longer in my best interests to tease you.

Happy Birthday Bubba!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo Sissy.

"Happiness is.......

2010-05-25T08:56:00.006-05:00

.....finding two olives in your martini when you're hungry.” - Johnny Carson

In honor of SATC 2 opening Friday night, I joined my friends Monday night at Oliver's on 13, to watch SATC 1....and snap pictures of my cocktail with the beautiful Tulsa skyline bokehed in the background.....and now.....I give you my favorite adult libation....

Oliver's Dirty Martini

3 ounces Grey Goose vodka (VERY IMPORTANT!)

1/2 ounce olive juice (or more, depending on how dirty you like it)

1 dash vermouth (roll to coat the inside of the glass)

2 large olives (or more)

Shaken not stirred please and thank you. Enjoy!

xoxoxo Kristin Blessing.

Drive-in revisited.

2010-05-24T09:24:00.012-05:00

I love the drive-in. It's another of my favorite things about summer.

When I was little my parents mowed the grass at the "51" drive-in movie in Broken Arrow and in trade we got free admission. I remember putting on my jammies and my Dad driving over to drive-in at 71st and 129th, then going to the concession stand and getting popcorn and picking out my favorite candy. Sometimes Daddy would let us sit on the roof of the Jeep, sometimes we just sprawled out in the back of the jeep, sometimes I never saw the movie because I fell asleep before it even began. Though I don't remember what movies I saw there specifically....I do remember many Saturday nights with my family.

A tornado took out the screen in 1993 and that was the end of the 51 drive-in, however the field still remains, surrounded by track homes, a sign of how much Broken Arrow has changed. Maybe in the future I will venture out there and see if I can break-in. :) It takes a special occasion, to get me all the way out to Broken Arrow.

Located across town is the Admiral Twin Drive-in...still in operation today, a Rte 66 Roadside Attraction, and the scene of many Saturday nights of my teenage years!

Oklahoma’s largest drive-in is a twin screen venue, that originally opened as a single screen in 1951 and was known as the Modern Aire, a second screen was added a year later and renamed The Admiral Twin Drive-In. It epitomizes the nostalgic drive-in movie theatres of the past…so much so that it was featured in the Frances Ford Coppola’s classic from 1983 ‘The Outsiders’ as the 1950’s hangout.

On the cheap we thought it would be fun to have a drive-in movie night in the back yard with our friends and their kids on Saturday night, but since it's monsoon season in Oklahoma we had to move the event indoors, due to a soggy yard, and skeeters-o-plenty.

There are a few important things to have to make your family drive-in movie night a success:

A good movie, we watched The Chipmunks Squeakul...now I don't know why this movie was not nominated for an Oscar, because it was great! I mean that with my sincerest sarcasm of course.

Pillows and Blankies. (note....this is not a good idea if you have hard wood floors.....kids were wiping out everywhere. Thankfully there were no traumatic brain injuries.)

Your favorite jammies.

M&M's. Because when you really want to alienate your friends, provide sugary treats for their kids at 8pm.

Popcorn!! Duh. I love popcorn and not the crap you get at the theater, I like good old fashioned Orville Redenbacher, popped in vegetable oil....or canola oil is ok too.
Here's how you do it:
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
1/2 cup of popcorn.
Heat oil on medium heat and add your popcorn.

Eventually this happens! Yum!

Now! It's time to get your butter on. This is no time for margarine. Contrary to what some of you Okie's think it, does not taste the same as butter....in fact margarine is like one molecule or something away from being plastic. BUTTER. You should always use BUTTER. Now repeat after me: I (insert name here) do solemnly swear to always use butter, and to give up margarine from now on.

Thank you.... moving on.

Melt your Budda.....

...........and pour. Then salt. (or add any other spice you'd like....cinnamon and sugar, or cayenne pepper for kick, you can't go wrong.)

It's a beautiful thing.

Then do something cute like this, so you look like the coolest Aunt on the planet. I just used regular lunch sacks...which I always have around, because they make great sidewalk luminaries too. Fold them over and fill with popcorn. I sprinkled some M&M or yumminy yums as my baby bro used to call them. What is better with popcorn than chocolate?

Then.......most important.....GET A GOOD SEAT and enjoy the show!

Also important but not included....(I'm saving them for the next post)

*Shannon's Grown-up Arnold Palmer cocktail

*Designated Driver

*Leann's 7 Layer Dip

*Leann's Chilli for the best chilli dog eva.

xoxoxoxoxo Kristin Blessing.

Something I Love.........

2010-05-19T22:18:00.006-05:00

............even though she's eaten a hole in every pair of pajama pants I own, destroyed several good pairs of heels, and chewed the crotch out of a pair of leggings that I actually wore for several hours at Christmas before I realized my hiney felt a breeze and I'd walked all over my in-laws house oblivious. Also she is tunneling to China via the backyard at 911.

but shes' pretty cute isn't she?

Epicurean Follies.

2010-05-18T09:35:00.005-05:00

I love to cook. After photography, cooking a delicious meal for people I love is right up there on my list of things I love to do. You can trace my epicurean adventures, back to about 4th grade when I would microwave scrambled eggs for my brothers. (this is the extent of my egg skills, I'm not a fan of eggs and refuse to learn egg prep.) Then there was the Velveeta Fudge incident in 5th grade, and finally the ever so notorious MOTHER OF ALL MEATLOAVES, in the 6th grade. I used ALL of the ground beef in the house, which I estimate was probably around 5 pounds and made the most massive loaf of meat anyone has ever seen....I swear when I turned the oven light on to check it, the thing had a heartbeat. I would like to note at this time, that these three incidents will live in infamy. No matter how much my skills have improved, someone always brings up that weird fudge, or the giant meatloaf, and Jeff and Stephen certainly have a few stories that I conveniently don't recall, about meals prepared during winter, spring and summer break when our Mama and Daddy left me in "charge".

The first meal I recall preparing that was a success, was in 1998. I was in California, I was 19 and I was in love. I prepared Grandma Lindstrom's lemon pepper chicken legs and Spanish rice. The perfect date meal. I don't recall this recipe, because it's been years since I made it, but I do recall he loved it. The next meal I mastered was my Grandma Gerard's red sauce. Eventually I discovered I could prepare this in the crock pot and let it cook all day and then we would have enough sauce to eat for a week. (We were poor kids after all) And then came my Minnesota years, where hot dish was served as abundantly as hot chocolate after sledding in Chester Bowl. Tater Tot Hot Dish, Wild Rice Chicken Hot Dish, Snowmobiler's Stew......etc etc. I still have nightmares about hot dish.

My go to date meal in the later years in Minnesota was Salmon Kyoto and Wasabi smashed potatoes. This meal epitomizes that old wives tale that the way to a man's heart is straight through his stomach. I brought this recipe with me when I moved back to Oklahoma three years ago and I prepared it for Mike on our 4th date. He ate that meal with abandon, and it seems from that day on, that boy has been sitting at my dinner table, letting me play test kitchen night after night. There has been good, there has been bad, and there has been really ugly. I think it's mostly been good, but you would have to ask him.

Last fall and winter I mastered soups and stews. Never once did he say, "soup again?" he just ate and ate and ate again....soup can be stretch far beyond the first dinner btw, soup can be stretched until you are cursing it's existence in your Frigidaire.

This spring I've been modifying family recipes to be a bit healthier than the original. I tried one last week. An old recipe of my Grandma's Gerard's. It got mixed reviews, my mother did not like the changes at all....(mayo and yogurt are much different...and the substitution was obvious.) ....I thought it was pretty good, but not as good as the unhealthy version, everyone else said they thought it was great. I'm going to work on that one before I share it.

Last night, I made this salad...and it was SMACK YOUR GRANDMA GOOD! I served it with grilled chicken and I just squeezed some of the navel orange that I had left over from the salad dressing and added salt and pepper. Nothing extravagant, because the salad was the star of this show!

Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

1 hass avocado, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp red onion, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1 lemon or lime
1/2 navel orange
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch oregano
kosher salt and fresh pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups mixed baby greens

Citrus Vinaigrette:In a small bowl whisk olive oil, juice from lemon or lime, orange, crushed garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

Arrange salad greens on a plate, top with cucumber, avocado, red onion, tomato ( I used baby heirlooms for color and I like the flavor), salt and pepper.

Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and serve right away.

Roadtripping

2010-05-17T12:01:00.008-05:00

My favorite thing about Summer in Oklahoma? Road tripping!

I'm a seasoned road tripper, each summer growing up, my dad planned a family vacation. We road tripped to Texas, saw the Alamo, visited Eureka Springs on long weekends, made long trips up to Minnesota to see my grandparents and many more small trips....some that included little brother's throwing up on their big sister's....but I'll save that story for another day.

Some of the last family vacations we took together were to Colorado, my dad LOVED Colorado and later moved there and spent the last 12 years of his life there. He showed us the best of Colorado, the Mesa Verde Ruins, the Royal Gorge, and the Petrified Forrest. We visited Durango and took the train to Silverton, and stopped in Ouray where he rented a Jeep Wrangler and took us up into the mountains, for a real live jeeping adventure. I was terrified. TERRIFIED.

The idea of being on a road that was only about as wide as the vehicle we were in was not appealing to me at all. In fact I cried for most of the trip up. Eventually my mother got out of the Jeep with me and walked behind for the remainder of the ride.

The last time I road tripped to Colorado was last summer with Mike, my dad wasn't feeling great, but he made sure he took us up the pass in Ouray....this time I stayed in the car all the way up and all the way down.....but I'm not going to say I was any less terrified!

Mike and I recently took our first road trip of the season, this time we got to sit back and enjoy the ride together (Mike and I are not the best partners when it comes to one or the other driving!).

The Barry's invited us for a day trip up to Mt. Scott near Lawton, OK.

Boy, let me tell you road tripping has changed in the last 20 years...picture it, 1990, August heat, three sweaty kids crammed into the back seat of my parents Jeep Cherokee, with crayons, some car games and a box of grapejuice that someone would inevitably throw up. Eventually someone would upset someone else and my dad wouldn't bother with the "if I have to pull over this car" buisness, his long arm with his paddle like hand would just emerge from the front seat into the back and all you could do was duck....even if you weren't the guilty party you may be subject to the wrath o paddle hand! (please note, this was harmless, and I giggle as I write it. As an adult, I now understand the exasperation of wild kids.)

Now flash forward to present day roadtrip with in flight movie, for the less interesting parts of the trip. (Blaze and Mike introduced me to Smokey and the Bandits, I thought this was a perfect in flight movie for speeding down the turnpike.) The Barry's Tahoe much roomier than the Cherokee's bench seat. The kids were nestled comfortably in the third row of seats in their car seats, complete with cup holders....far away from paddle hand....if Mr. Barry actually has one of those, and while Sis and Bub occasionally squabble with one another they are A+++ road trippers. Mike and I took our places in the middle seats....so comfy it was almost like sitting home on my couch.

When Mike and I roadtrip we drive for hours and only stop when we need gas, if you have to pee this is the time to do it, if you don't have to pee you better try, because we ain't stopping. When traveling with a 3 year old frequent pee stops happen. We made pee stop number one at Pop's food and fuel in Arcadia, Oklahoma.

If your spouse is a soda loving fool get ready to blow the mortgage, soda's are about $2 bucks a "pop" (no pun intended) and I've never gotten out of there with Mike for less than $20 bucks, not including lunch, that's just the P.O.P. ! They do serve lunch, it's typical diner fare and we have had lunch here, but we skipped this today.

Soon we were back in the car on our way....somewhere about 30 feet up the road Sis and Bub decided they did not like the Strawberry Yoohoo and Moxie Blue Creme Soda they had chosen....so they gave it to my very own human garbage disposal, and I say that with complete love and adoration...remember the Life Cereal Commercial where the kid says "Mikey Likes It!"? It's true....Mikey always likes it, and so he downed whatever concoction of his own choosing(something strange I assure you) plus a Strawberry YooHoo and a Moxie Blue Creme Soda.

Back on the road and only two pee breaks later (Sis can only be blamed for one of those, the other was all me....I drank ALOT of coffee and a huge diet coke...cut me some slack,) we arrived at Meers!!!

Of course the first thing I spotted was this old sign.....Now that is some yummy rusty goodness!

And then the world famous potato chip making horse!! Well maybe it's not the horse.

We arrived about 2pm and the line was out the door. We passed the time by asking Sissy to make funny faces...which she happily obliged.....we were finally seated about 30 minutes later and all that waiting in line makes a little gal thirsty as you can see...(note for future road tripping, do not share your very large soda with a very little towhead when she will eventually be on a sugar high and strapped back in the car for 4 plus hours, unless you like hearing yoru name repeated 5,786 times.)

Bub opted for the more conservative choice in beverage. No sugar crashed gonna happen here!

Finally we ordered the world famous Meer's Burger...after all this is what made them famous and what we;d been waiting all day for.

This photo doesn't do it justice, this thing is HUGE. As in fills a pie plate huge. Mike and I "split" one, I use split lightly...I ate one wedge, he ate three. No need for french fries, though we did split an order of fried okra that was mighty tasty!

Meersburgers are made with 97% lean grass fed Longhorn beef from Meers own Longhorn herd. Cooked medium well and served with mustard, dill pickles, tomato, red onion, jalapeno and bacon and topped with American Cheese. (According to the menu they use American cheese, because it's an American Burger). This preparation is a 50 year tradition, and they will fix the burger anyway you like it, but be prepared if you ask for Mayo on your burger to be called a sissy, I'm inclined to agree with this term of endearment!

I was pleasantly surprised, to see that Longhorn is leaner, lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than any other meat. I didn't feel the least bit guilty enjoying this meal.

Ok maybe I felt a little guilty when this arrived.

Back on the road we headed to the Holy City of the Wichita's. A site, that I totally misunderstood. Somewhere in a Barnes and Noble looking at an Oklahoma photography book three years ago, I convinced myself that the Holy City was some sort of Wichita Indian Tribe relic.....yup I was wrong....VERY wrong. It's actually the site of a Passion Play, evidently this is a perfect spot for a Passion Play, because the terrain is very similar to the "Original Holy City". Did you know Buffalo roamed the OHC? I didn't, but in the Oklahoma version they do....believe me....we saw evidence.....lots of watch your step, ruin a good pair of shoes evidence. Because this wasn't exactly what I sold it to be, I found it to be quite hilarious, and it was contagious..... picture seven year old boy standing on top of mock Holy City Temple pretending to be a sniper.....Mikey in mock version of the loaves and fishes boat, the tomb of the resurecttion that not only had a sign, BUT a back door as well, and again Buffalo poop every fifth step, there was hysterical laughter happening. I'm pretty sure when I arrive at the Pearly Gates, St Pete is gonna say "Lucy....you got some 'splannin to do"

Still it was very pretty, quiet and peaceful, except for the creepy music playing....I love hymns, I love singing in church, but whatever they were playing through the sound system was CREEPY.

btw if you are wondering about Mt. Scott.....it was closed. You heard me....they closed the mountain. Did you know you could close a mountain? Well neither did we. It was a rainy day, and the mountain was shrouded in fog, probably best that it was closed, because I'm known for falling down in the middle of flat parking lots, while standing still...no telling what would happen if you let me loose on a foggy mountain.

We ran into this bad boy on our way out.....he was HUGE....HUGE. I think I had my long lens on when I took this....but I assure you we were not far from him. I was of course hanging out the window like a fool. I like to do that. :) Well usually I get out, but I wasn't going to upset Rufus here....

And then we met our lunch's relatives. Really beautiful creatures I have to say.

Wonder how I got that shot??????? I opened the door of the Tahoe and stood on the running board again like a fool..(especially with my propensity for falling down) I also asked my 7 year old buddy to be on the look out for any disgruntled cousins coming up from behind..so as to not get a horn in the rear and click, click, click......thanks to Mikey for capturing this moment via iPhone.

ehhh hum.....And while we're on the above subject.....we swung through Medicine Park, OK for a potty break.....and we found this store....what a great name!

And this old sign growing out of a tree.......

And this concludes the slide show of the Griswold style family road trip.....if you made it this far you deserve a gold star!!!!! All kidding aside I do highly reccomed this day trip...or make a weekend of it and stay in OKC and take in the Oklahoma History Center as well!

Linky love coming:

http://www.meersstore.com/

http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/oklahoma/wichitamountains/

http://www.oklahomahistorycenter.org/

xoxoxoxo, Kristin Blessing.

Clouds In My Coffee and Linky Love.

2010-04-29T10:40:00.010-05:00

I love two things unconditionally (not including a few of you humans out there....you know who you are.)

Coffee and my Camera. Though my camera and I have a love hate relationship, my coffee never lets me down. Whether I wait in line for it, make French press at home or brew it in the cheap coffee pot at my office, my coffee always welcomes me with a hot and steamy embrace and I love the euphoria of that first cup in the morning.

(get ready for some serious Linkage.)

I've recently turned onto Topéca coffee, (http://www.topecacoffee.com/) grown in El Salvador and roasted right here in Tulsa, OK. Topéca is a family owned seed-to-cup coffee company, which means they control their beans from the moment they are planted in El Salvador, until they reach Tulsa to be roasted.

You can enjoy your Topéca coffee at home. Buy Local! Topéca beans can be purchased at Dwelling Spaces and you can pick up some Okie Grown swag while your there. (119 S. Detroit Ave Tulsa, OK 74120 918.582.1033‎. http://www.dwellingspaces.net/) You can also have it brewed up for you at Cafe Topéca (115 West 5th Street Suite 169 Tulsa, OK 74103 918-592-9090)

I enjoyed this cup of Topéca Espresso at the Dilly Deli, (http://www.dillydelitulsa.com/ 402 E 2nd St, Tulsa, OK 74120) accompanied by the Meg, the best fried egg, tomato, lettuce bacon and cheddar sandwich in town. (I suggest you hold the lettuce and add the avocado + .50 but totally worth it!)

xoxoxoxo Kristin Blessing.

Awww Shucks.

2010-04-27T16:41:00.005-05:00

My favorite summer treat???????

Grilled Corn on the Cob.

Whenever I see fresh corn on the cob at the market I know summer is here! My favorite is the local stuff of course from Bixby.

My mom used to send me out to the screen porch or the deck with a paper grocery sack to shuck corn. I thought this was so much fun. Now the shucking is my least favorite part. This is something I would love to train the dogs to do. Come here Luck....Shuck that corn! Sadly I don't think that's ever going to happen.

My mom boiled our corn, I prefer to grill it. I'm simple. I usually lay my corn in a piece of tin foil....and drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.

You should soak your corn for about 30 minutes in salt water before you grill it. Once it's wrapped I place it on the top rack of my grill for about 15 minutes and viola!

If you want to skip the olive oil and add some zing.....

In a small bowl, mash together with the back of a fork, 1/4 stick of butter 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 tbl finley chopped fresh basil(yum! another summer favorite!) 1/2 tea kosher salt, 1/3 tea fresh ground pepper, 1/4 tea fesh minced garlic together and then stir to distribute the seasonings throughout the butter.

Brush about 1 tablespoon of the seasoned butter all over each ear of corn. Grill on direct medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve warm with the remaining butter spread on the corn.

Enjoy!

xoxoxoxo Kristin Blessing

Things My Grandma said.

2010-04-26T16:54:00.005-05:00

My Grandma Lindstrom used to say two things to me. ( well she said many, but we don't have all day)

One thing she said on a pretty regular basis was: "You're hair needs combing" (I have impossibly curly hair, and never could express that it was combed it just looked uncombed.)

The other: "You're so cute I could eat you with a spoon"

This I never understood...why would you want to eat someone because they were cute, and why with a spoon? Wouldn't a fork and knife be better at completing this task?

Well I think I understand what she meant now. I mean don't ya just want to nibble on these little toesies?!

Forget Me Not. {Kristin Blessing Tulsa Newborn Photographer}

2010-04-23T12:10:00.007-05:00

My brothers and I were raised by antique archaeologists. We spent many childhood Sundays in antique stores with our parents. I think this gave us an appreciation for the history of old, gently used and loved things.

Recently I purchased a brand new couch. This is the first new piece of furniture I've ever owned. I never purchase new, because I don't really think it has the same feeling as browsing the aisles at the Tulsa Flea Market at the Tulsa Fairgrounds, or stopping by Susan Cartwright's Midtown Flea on 11th and Yale looking for the perfect pitcher for family dinner, or a new chair for the guest room. I've been told I have an ecclectic house, and ecclectic is just the way I like it. I have a collection of milk glass gifted to me by Mike's grandma, an old harvest table from my father, my grandmother's blue Danube china, an old wardrobe from my mother...I could go on, but you get the point. I like old stuff. Every time I come to the dining room table to make a list, or I serve a meal to my family on Grandma Lindstrom's china, I am reminded of how many memories and how much love surround me. "Forget me nots" they should be called.

But you know what's even better!? When I purchase something gently used, I am supporting my local economy AND I'm not contributing to waste, I'm reusing something that has already served a purpose somewhere else. That is how I observe Earth Day everyday.

Because it was Earth Day, I thought I might swing by and take an Earth Day photo of my new nephew, who is being raised in a globally conscience home. Below was the end result, simple but I think very organic. The giant wood bowl was once my grandmother's and has now been handed down to my brother, and the Love your Mama onesie a find at the Just Between Friends Consignment sale this past March. Bobby's only 5 days old (six when this blog was posted) and he's already doing his part.

How did you observe Earth Day this year?

April Showers bring May.....Babies?!?! {Kristin Blessing Tulsa Newborn Photographer}

2010-04-21T16:35:00.006-05:00

I thought my next post would be about day tripping to the Wichita Mountains in Lawton on an rainy April day, which is exactly what we did this past Saturday, but on out way home we got the best call ever!

Bobby had decided to make his arrival into the world a few weeks early. With the threat of death from me...our driver for the day burned rubber back to Tulsa so we could get to St. John's Hospital in time to meet the newest addition to the Lindstrom family. Thankfully we made it with plenty of time to spare.

I had the privilege of staying in the delivery room with Jeff and Christen, and I have to say witnessing the miracle of childbirth is life changing. Christen was so strong and barely made a peep as she endured all that labor has to offer and at 2:21 a.m. Sunday morning Bobby made his grand entrance, weighing 6lb 14oz.
Welcome little boy! We love you! xoxo

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!

2010-04-06T10:11:00.004-05:00

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche translates from French to mean "Let them eat cake!" supposedly said by a French princess upon learning that the peasants had no bread.

Boy did we ever do this last weekend!

Thanks to Sweet Emotions catering my family and friends indulged in not one but two delicious cakes! One for Baby-to-Be Lindstrom and One for my Step-Grandma's 75th birthday celebration!

Leann was so great to work with....everyone knows when I have a vision I can't be stopped. I sent her pictures of my ideas and not only did she deliver, but I was jumping for joy when I saw these cakes...they were exactly what I wanted, and they didn't just look great they tasted fantastic too! Leann's red velvet cake is her grandmother's recipe, and it so tasty, I have to admit it's almost better than my grandmother's red velvet cake. I've always been a fan of icing, and the Bavarian creme on this cake can't be beat! Order yours today! sweetemotionscatering@gmail.com

BTW

2010-03-25T14:40:00.002-05:00

I'm still learning everyday. I love to shoot, but struggle with editing. I have an amazing pal who often helps me out with this. See below the before and after of "Life"

Life {Tulsa, OK Family Photographer}

2010-03-25T14:21:00.005-05:00

Another from Bobby's first shoot. Don't you love this?!

Next week friends and family shower Christen and Jeff with gifts and supplies for the little guy. I just love throwing parties and this one is the most special one I've thrown yet. Christen and Jeff want to be "green" parents, so the shower will be focused around global sustainability and a green lifestyle. They even requested gently used items instead of new whenever possible! How cool is that?!

Spring! Sprang! Sprung! { Kristin Blessing Tulsa, Oklahoma Pregnancy Photographer}

2010-03-19T14:29:00.006-05:00

I've determined that I am completely terrible at this blogging thing, yet I do have a desire so I'm giving it another try!

I am expecting a nephew this May! I'm thrilled!! He will be just a few blocks away... close enough for me to spoil this precious little bundle rotten and send him home to Mama and Da Da!

I got the pleasure of capturing little Bobby while he's still cozy and warm in his Mama's womb! With such beautiful parents this little bundle is sure to be a looker

SUMMER SPLASH! {KRISTIN BLESSING TULSA'S LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER}

2009-10-13T23:29:00.004-05:00

Remember the lazy hot days of summer 2009?! Hope this warms you up on these chilly, drizzly, days of October!

CARTER {KRISTIN BLESSING TULSA'S NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER}

2009-10-13T23:06:00.008-05:00

Hard to believe this little pumpkin is two months old already! Congratulations Scott Terry and Big Brother Calvin!

“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow”

2009-10-13T23:01:00.002-05:00

“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow”, originally uploaded by Red Sash Photography {kristin blessing}.

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.

2009-10-11T19:35:00.002-05:00

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies., originally uploaded by Red Sash Photography {kristin blessing}.

Stay Tuned!

2009-07-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

Stuff coming soon! Don't go anywhere....