by Amy | Oct 17, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
This is Nathanael. He is another upstanding member of the class of 2015. And, in case you don’t notice by his photos…he’s got more musical talent in his little finger than I’ll probably ever have in my whole being. I totally envy people who can play multiple instruments. Heck, I envy people who can play one well! Nathanael is another youth group member that dazzles me with his spiritual discipline, Biblical interest and knowledge. He is sweet and helpful, and another senior I’m very proud to know.
We started his session in the park with his guitar. From the photos, you wouldn’t know that the wind was completely reckless on this awesome fall afternoon. But it was. Through the whole shoot I was thankful that he had short hair that didn’t show the wind!
But despite the windy conditions, I’d say this was basically the perfect fall day. Warm and sunny. Totally aflame with brightly colored leaves. Ideal for fall senior portraits.
Since Nathanael was one of my last guys for senior portraits I knew I wanted to take him to one of my most favorite backdrops for boy portraits: The hub cap wall.
I love it. And I hadn’t even used it yet for the class of 2015. So I asked Nathanael if we could make a quick detour before setting up for his drum photos. As you can tell by the photos, he obliged.
{In case you were wondering…this photo, right here, right above, just might be my favorite of all Nathanael’s senior portraits!}
Then, when we were done with hub caps, we headed out of town. You see, earlier in the week I shot his sister Jenna’s senior portraits–you might remember her. At her session she and another sister told me they thought I should have Nathanael bring his drums out into a field. Once I realized that was a possibility he’d be up for, I was all over it. Great idea, ladies!
Thanks, Nathanael, for letting me take your portraits! I had so much fun.
Be sure to check the Facebook page over the weekend for Jenna and Nathanael’s print contests! Be sure to come over and vote to help them each win an 8×10″ print of one of my favorite shots from their sessions.
by Amy | Oct 15, 2014 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Projects
I know it’s only October–not even Halloween yet–but I’m already trying to line up some Christmas craftiness. Every year I tell myself that I want to make home-made gifts…and every year it comes to crunch time. I stress over getting things made, which completely zaps the joy out of crafting. This year, I’m determined to be different. I’m determined to start making a few things here and there–and hopefully by December I’ll have a good stash of hand-made creations to gift.
I started this week with these distressed glass bottles. These were kind of a trial run, but I am totally head over heels with the result.
They were so easy to make. They took a couple hours, but only due to drying time. This project started with my love for a maple syrup bottle that Derek and I emptied out over some loaded {shredded coconut, almonds, cashews and chocolate chips} pancakes. I loved it’s shape, I didn’t want it to be tossed to the bin. I started there and added a well-beaten red bottle I got in a “lot” at an auction.
Step one was giving each bottle an undercoat of spray paint. I experimented with two different colors. Hoping that the end product would allow a little of the color to peek through the distressed paint on the bottles.
I’ve been hearing word of the wonders of chalk paint and found this handy recipe to make my own {I used the plaster of paris recipe}. It you don’t know what chalk paint is, visit the link, it explains it all. But for the sake of this project, just know that it is well covering, opaque and will adhere to nearly any surface. I mixed some up in soup bins from the recycle bin and brushed an even coat on each bottle. Once that dried, I repeated the process.
Once that dried, I used a fine-grain sand paper and gently rubbed away some of the paint. In some places I took it down to the glass, in other places, I only took off the chalk paint to expose the spray paint underneath.
As a subtle finishing touch I rubbed a little glaze {left over from my cabinet redo} into textured places on the bottle. As soon as it was on, I wiped it away and into the cracks with a paper towel.
Once everything dried completely, I gave each finished bottle a spray coat of clear acrylic finish. I used this matte finish from Tree House Studio.
Pretty cute, right? Now you can make your own…or gamble on your chances of receiving this set from me for Christmas!
by Amy | Oct 14, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
This is Patrick. He’s graduating. And he let me have the good pleasure of taking his senior portraits. I can’t speak for him, but I can tell you that I had fun times a million while shooting his session. We hit up some of my favorite, rustic locations in Minot, then took a drive out to that trestle in Burlington that I’m so very crazy for.
He put up with my many awkward comments, he climbed and sat and was patient as I got just “one more shot…” And while, that line might actually mean “Let’s do a whole bunch more…” Patrick was totally willing and good spirited through my long list of ideas. I think it paid off, and I think you will too.
One of my most favorite things about shooting senior boy photos is that they usually bring a mom along. {I think I might have mentioned this before.} Patrick’s mom is awesome. I had a great time chatting with her while we waited on wardrobe changes. And–she gets to take full credit for showing me this awesome wall! What could be more perfect for a senior photo?
Seriously, friends, I cannot imagine a more perfect day to take in the fall colors of Practically Canada. The hills of Burlington were simply lit up with colored leaves. An ideal backdrop for gorgeous photos.
Thanks for an awesome night, Patrick! Happy senior year!
by Amy | Oct 13, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Gymnast Senior Portraits
Just a heads up, it’s going to be a senior photo kind of week here at the blog. Several weeks ago the perfect storm of senior sessions happened: Four senior sessions in one week. For me, that’s a whole lot. But there are simply no words for the amount of fun I had getting to know these upstanding young people. We walked balance beams, traveled to the rail road trestle, hauled a drum set into an open field and rode a four-wheeler to remote corners of a family farm. It was an amazing week and I’m excited to be showing you three of those four sessions this week.
Tonight, meet Jenna. She is gorgeous, an amazing gymnast, giving, fashionable and compassionate. I’ve had the pleasure of having her in my youth group small group for two years now–and I count myself lucky for it. She’s the kind of person who just makes you happy when she’s around.
Okay, enough bragging on Jenna. You all know how much I love seniors. I could go on all day. Instead I’ll start showing you these amazing images. Like this one that we all drooled over when I first posted it on the Facebook page last week.
The results are pretty amazing, but I’ll admit, working with balloons in an open field in North Dakota proved to be a difficult task. Let’s just say many minutes were spent waiting for the wind to die down before we snapped a few good ones.
Oh, and earlier when I said she was athletic, I meant to say…she’s a brilliant gymnast. {Which explains how she gets so mad high on those jumps and how her toes stay pointed.}
She even let me come to her gym to see her in action. For good measure she brought alone a sample of the medals she has earned over the years…I told you–she’s amazing.
Congratulations, Jenna! Thanks for hanging out and making me just a little cooler in the process.
by Amy | Oct 10, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
I’d probably be a more successful blogger if I narrowed my writings down to one specific topic. But, like my life, my career and my choice of ice cream flavors…I just cannot seem to pick just one thing that I like best. Life if just too interesting, not to discuss and write and dream about. So, I guess that’s how it’ll continue to be around here. A grab bag of stories and odd moments, of life and art and work, all rolled together.
One reason I simply cannot bring myself to write only about work or daily devotionals is that Practically Canada is such a bizarre and fascinating place.
click for source
It’s no secret that Minot is on the small and isolated side of the city scale. But once a year they put on a festival that is the crown jewel of Practically Canadian living: Norsk Hostfest. Practically Canada is chock full of residents sharing Scandinavian heritage. During Hostfest these folks, as well as other Scandinavians from around the globe {seriously, the globe} flock to the North Dakota State Fair grounds here in Minot for five days of Scandimonium celebration.
What is Hostfest? That’s a very reasonable question.
It’s a five day festival that encompasses the entire state fair grounds complex. Inside are vendors selling handmade items using old-fashioned Scandinavian techniques, Scandinavian food {Lutefisk anyone?}, cultural music, entertainment, and nightly concerts. It’s kind of like a fair, but held indoors and everything has to do with Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Iceland. There are imports for sale and Norweigen wool sweaters and viking drinking horns.There are free stages with entertainers from those countries {magicians from Sweden, tenors from Norway, etc.}, cultural cooking demonstrations, and speakers. Bigger concerts take place at night and feature well known artists like Bill Engvall, Josh Turner and Jennifer Nettles–they perform in the Great Hall of Vikings {#obviously.}
There is a lot to see and do. A lot is even very fun. But the whole event {at least to an outsider} has a very Dwight Schrute-ish quality to it. You know how, on the Office he talks about his weird German farm traditions like they are completely normal and everyone else is crazy because they’ve never heard of it? That’s kind of how Hostfest feels.
With highlighted games like “Ring the Trolls Antlers” and “Knock the Fleas Off the Black Plague Rat” you can really help feeling like Belsnickel is around every corner ready to ask if you’ve been “Impish or admirable.”
There are people who walk around in a Dala Horse costume. Yes, that’s people in there.
click for source
There are men in traditional dress roaming the halls playing the accordion. And wooden trolls to have your photo with.
click for source
There are tons of people and hoards of married couples come in matching his and hers Nordic sweaters. {#wantonesobad}
click for source
But, for me {and Derek} the prize of prized is Viking Village, where people exhibit viking craftsmanship {blacksmithing, silver hammering, wood carving, weaving…} Everyone is dressed in period costume. Outside they do demonstrations of viking battle techinques. This year we were lucky enough to catch a demonstration of viking games. Simple, family friendly games like these.
Tug of war. Put two people in a loop of rope. Have them wear it around their waist. Then they get down on their hands and knees and start crawling away from one another. Whoever gets dragged across the line loses.
If that’s too tame, have the participants wear the rope around their necks. {Notice the sweater in the spectator section.}
Or what about this one. Sandwich a person between two people. He wins if he can get out of the sandwich.
Or there’s this game {which we didn’t see in person, but I’ve saw featured in an ad for the Hostfest Pre-Event}.
click for source
It’s crazy. It sounds crazy. But it is fun. Like I said, people come from all over. Lots camp out in their RV’s for the week, in the parking lot, so they don’t miss a moment. There are about 1,000 RV lots available. Tickets to the festival plus camping fees will cost you upwards of $700. And although that includes free coffee and a polka jam session with Minot’s accordion club, I’m not sure it’s worth it. It’s fun…but maybe not that fun.
Until next year, Hostfest…
by Amy | Oct 8, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Art
The latest Community Canvas is complete! A few weeks ago I took a “downtown” themed community canvas to Minot’s end of summer block party in downtown Minot. I’d been asked to bring it to the street festival for kids to paint on as they strolled between games and activities.
As, you can imagine, I was a little nervous when I arrived and discovered that my fellow children’s activity vendors included face painting, a bouncy house and games that gave away real prizes. After I set up and several parent’s asked it I painted faces {to which I had to say “no”} I figured the canvas would be a giant dud.
However, to my pleasant surprise, as soon as I started filling in a few spaces on my own, droves of kids started showing up, wanting to paint as well. It was a steady stream of kids for two hours straight! Sometimes there were more kids wanting to paint than brushes! The community canvas turned out to be a big hit. Crazy, I know. I had so much fun. Even the tiniest artists worked hard to stay in the lines and use the right color. Only one {who I’ll call an abstract artist} went totally rogue as you can see by the yellow streak in the red door.
I guess, it just goes to show that kids are attracted to creativity. Their little hands want to create and be creative. As grown ups, I think we should try our best to let them do that as much as they can.
So here is how the canvas progressed. Start to finish. First the outlined painting that I showed you earlier.
This is what I brought home from the block party.
When I bring it home I basically just retrace the black outlines. In this case I added a few other details as well, like bricks, window glare and cloud color.
As of now, this painting still doesn’t have a home. So, if you are in the Minot area and know of a business or nonprofit that would like to have a Minot-inspired art piece…created by the children of Minot–get in touch. I’d be happy to let you have it. It doesn’t exactly match my personal decor in my home.
I feel so super blessed by the opportunities the Minot art community has given me lately. At the end of this month I’ll be doing another Community Canvas, but this time it’s actually a “Classroom Canvas”! I’ll be drawing up an owl themed canvas for a first grade classroom to paint. It’s going to be fun times a million.
Amy
by Amy | Oct 7, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Expecting | A Baby Announcement With Dogs
Something very exciting is happening to the Allender clan. Well, technically it’s the Kennedys. But since Erin was originally an Allender, I’ll still claim it as a victory for our team.
They are expecting! Which is just fabulous, because I myself love kiddos, but am still on the terrified side of actually carrying a baby and being a mom…however I have absolutely no qualms about being a zany aunt. I’m very, very excited {as are our parents–obviously}. I know the Kennedy foursome–Sis insists on including her dogs in everything–will look lovely as a fivesome. I’m so excited to show off this one-of-a-kind baby announcement with dogs.
Now, about the dogs. Erin loves her dogs. Loves them. You might think you love your pets. But she really takes it to a unique level. Unique–not totally crazy. {It’s a fine line.} So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when she told me their household was going to expand by two feet…not four. Because of the deep rooted love for the dogs {Jillian is the big one, and Penny is the little one} they obviously had to be part of sharing the good news.
For me, sometimes the most fun part about sharing photos with all of you is being able to tell the story behind some of them. These were taken at my parent’s house, when I was home to Indiana. You might even recognize the chair from the family photos we did in July. About half way through her short session my mom said she “had and idea,” and would be right by. I think as she walked away she said something about knowing, “just what we needed.”
No more than five minutes later she had returned to the yard carrying two baby bonnets. One from each of us sisters. Two minutes after that, they’d been strapped to the dogs’ heads. I love our family.
How she produced them so quickly is a mystery to me. It takes me longer to find Scotch tape in the drawer than it took her to find and deliver two bonnets that haven’t been used since the mid-80’s. And as you can imagine it was a pathetic sight to behold. Jillian didn’t even seem to care. She doesn’t care about much as long as there is a squirrel to watch. Penny, on the other hand was really embarrassed, but I am so SO glad that I got this close up of her.
It’s safe to say there are a lot of things about this first Allender pregnancy we will never forget. Congratulations times a million to this brilliant couple. Thank you for letting me shoot your baby announcement. It was a night I won’t soon forget. And I pray luck upon those dogs, because they are in for a shock when the baby arrives and starts hogging their attention.
xo
Amy
by Amy | Oct 3, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Kitchen
For a long time I hated chicken salad. I think it was mostly because I’m not a mayo fan. Then, when I got older and more health conscious, I was glad I didn’t like chicken salad, because it turns out mayonnaise isn’t very good for you. But, as it is a staple baby shower, bridal shower and casual lunch food, I decided years ago to make my own recipe. A recipe that was both healthy and mayo free.
Without further ado, here is my very own recipe for great chicken salad without mayo.
Tonight, I’m sharing that recipe with you. It’s so good. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken {I typically use left over chicken breasts from dinner the night before. The amounts in this recipe use about 1.5-2 chicken breasts.}
- 1/3 cup Low Fat or No Fat Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup Low Fat or Fat Free Ranch
- 1/4 tsp of: black pepper, garlic powder, and basil
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 3 T Dark Mustard
- 1/2 cup Raisins or Craisins
- 1/4 cup Almond Slivers
- 3 Stalks of Celery
Keep in mind that you can alter the amount of celery, raisins/Craisins, and almonds. It’s your lunch, make it how you like it. As a variation you can leave out the dried fruit and sub in 1/2 cup of halved grapes.
Here’s what you do.
I prefer to shred my chicken by pulsing it in my Ninja. But you can shred it with forks or your Kitchen Aide. Whatever you prefer.
In a bowl mix together the yogurt, ranch, mustard, and spices. Add in chicken, celery and fruit. If it looks dry add a little more yogurt or ranch.
It’s that easy and it’s so good. Enjoy! {And don’t forget to Pin it, for easy access.}
{In case you were wondering…this photo, right here, right above, just might be my favorite of all Nathanael’s senior portraits!}
