An Easy 1-Minute Lunch

I’m a big believer in the “miracle product” over here. Anything that does multiple duty and will take my situation from average to fantastic is an instant win in my book. So yesterday, during a quick run to my local Trader Joe’s, I was specifically on a hunt for key ingredients to make my life quicker and easier (and moreover, to make delicious, healthy and FAST lunches).

I always love to grab a pack of their cooked chicken from the refrigerator section. It’s easy to throw into lots of recipes, and we had a lot of salad greens at home that I didn’t want to go to waste (is there any worse feeling than pitching unused produce?!). I also grabbed a package of organic blueberries, which they always seem to have and at a pretty decent price. Then, I saw it:

I don’t know if it’s a new product or just new-to-me, but this Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing caught my eye right away. I’ve used TJ’s dressings in salads and grain bowls on many occasions, and they always level things up. Since I’ve been trying to rely less on dairy and I had only some sad and almost empty salad dressings at home I decided to give this a whirl.

The verdict? Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just get thee to Trader Joe’s and get this dressing ASAP. I threw together this salad in under 1 minute and ate it just about as fast. The dressing is creamy, not overpowering, and makes this otherwise basic salad feel really special.

Pro tip: keep a bag of wonton strips on hand. Last year when Sam was born we subscribed to a meal service box, and I noticed how having these little extra toppings really make things go the extra mile.

I’m also excited to mix this dressing into chicken salad with grapes and walnuts, or to use as a dip with fresh veggies.

Why I Photograph Interiors | Seattle Real Estate + Home Editorial Photographer

I spent most of the year 2020 scrolling Zillow. We had sold our house in Chicago and were feeling desperate to get out of our apartment building and into a home. With the pandemic, we changed a lot of our plans, including accelerating our family planning. The urge to settle in and make actual roots in Seattle after sooo many years of renting got REAL.

We spent every weekend driving around neighborhoods, my belly growing, John growing, and wondering if I’d get that tingly *this is it* feeling. It was thrilling and exhausting.

We finally found our place and have been renovating for the last year. It’s a work in progress but it’s ours. And now, after having gone through that, I’m tracing a line backwards in my life: interiors and homes have always been significant to me.

As a little kid my mom and I would visit open houses, mentally arranging furniture and imagining the possibilities. I played with dolls but stopped after extensively setting up their homes with found objects. The Sims happened and I could be found in the basement doggedly designing and cheat-coding so I could afford the *best* wallpaper (IYKYK). Preparing for my future home began in my teens when I’d collect vintage Pyrex and antique secretary desks. A table I snagged from @crateandbarrel became the first item that moved in with my (now) husband.

It’s always been there. And now I’m welcoming homes and spaces into my work more than ever. Shooting interiors brings me a joy I can’t explain. Our spaces are so important. Think about some of your best memories, are they attached to a home?

I have so much to say on this and will continue to explore and share with you. Thank you for coming along with me!

Photos for @thedigs.co (who just shared a big and exciting update yesterday!)

Colorful and Cheeky AirBnB in Cle Elum | Seattle Interiors Photographer

When I’m looking for a quick and easy getaway from the gray rainy Seattle weather, I’m always up for the beautiful drive across Snoqualmie Pass and over to Eastern Washington. Cle Elum and the surrounding area is the perfect stone’s throw for a weekend trip. With a beautiful lake and mountains leading slowly to desert, it’s a visual wonderland and always helps me hit reset. That’s why I jump at any opportunity to work with The Digs Co., a real estate and vacation rental company that has the BEST hosted and co-hosted sites across the pass. I met Chelsea, the founder, years back and we stayed in touch as our businesses grew and evolved. I first stayed at her first rental, Roslyn Digs, when I was expecting my first son. I’ll never forget how I enjoyed those peaceful mornings and shooting the brand new space with a cup of coffee in hand.

Fast forward almost four years (and now with a second baby!) I’d been following their progress with this super cute spot. Chelsea’s design sense is so spot on and you can tell the theme of this was FUN. I love all the pops of color in the house, from the emerald green velvet chairs to the neon pink hand hook in the bathroom, to the retro comic tile in the shower. The art in this space is so fun and playful, and as soon as you step outside you’re enveloped by towering pines and a whisper-quiet roaming yard space. I’m setting my sights on a little solo refresh retreat there soon.

Enjoy Shin Digs, and book it here!

Seattle Engagement Photography Session at Discovery Park

If you’re planning a wedding, it’s a ton of work and sometimes can be stressful. One thing that feels like a highlight during all of this is enjoying your engagement session. It’s something that you can pretty easily check off your list, it gives you a great experience and memory, and it helps move you forward with other elements of wedding plans, like save-the-dates and a wedding website. I love getting to enjoy this stage with my couples because it feels truly celebratory.

Even though you might not think it at first, your photo session is actually a great chance to spend some quality time together and just focus on one another. Obviously, getting beautiful and candid photos of your relationship is a huge plus, too! For 99.9% of my couples, their engagement session is the first time ever being photographed professionally. So amidst all the excitement you might feel slightly nervous about a camera being around your personal space and story. As a photographer who shoots a lot of weddings, elopements and engagement sessions, I feel like my secret weapon is to help put you at ease and create a space where you can really just be yourself and trust that I’ll find the beauty in that and turn it into great photos. It doesn’t hurt that living in Seattle gives us so many beautiful PNW locations to get the setting just right, too.

Enjoy this sunny session at Discovery Park!