Kick off to...

...Summer

Well, it's official. Summer is here and I can't think of a better way to kick it off than fresh fruit! 

Remember these beauties?

Well I did something with these beauts that I've been wanting to attempt for a long time. Develop a Gluten Free dessert recipe that is every bit as good as a "regular" recipe. As the market is growing for this specialty diet, I want to be in on the process and make food that is delicious, so you don't feel like you are missing out on anything.

Here's what I came up with...

Warm Peach Crisp w/Gingersnap Crumble

I have to say, for my first attempt, it wasn't half bad. I have a lot of tweaking to do as the GF cookies don't behave as a regular cookie does when baking. But that's half the fun of developing dishes, the learning curve that goes along with it. (I ate most of it writing notes for future attempts!)

Now, it's also Texture Tuesday over at Kim's Kim Klassen cafe - 

and the theme is "warm". THIS was a total no brainer for me! I used her "CHASE" texture in both. 

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

Scavenger

...Hunt

This 3 day weekend came at the perfect time! Austin has one more week of school left & those are 1/2 days for finals. I have 15 more to go....(happy dance!) We are ready for the break!

Ok...so on to this weeks' prompts...

*Beneath Your Feet

Brick stairs in our backyard.

*Capturing Movement

This is a corner where tons of kids pour onto the street when school lets out. I wanted to capture their movement...but...um...those teens didn't walk fast enough to capture anything!

Texture

I went w/Frankie to a place where he buys nuts and bolts he needs for the helicopter he's building. These Tubie thingies were perfect for the prompt. What....never heard of a tubie thingie?!

Face Your Fears

Aging...Yup. But I've been taking this NOW YOU course and it's really helped. 

Currently...

... Currently I'm hooked on my i-phone & editing for INSTAGRAM! 

You can find me here   kellykardos

Serious fun I tell ya!

Hope you are enjoying your long weekend! Don't for get to please take a moment and honor those that have sacrificed for our freedom. Thank you :-)

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

Peach...

...porn!

Ok...I COULD have inundated you with the images I took of this summer's 1st peaches I bought today for .88 cents a pound, but I'll stick to these two! Now I KNOW these in NO way compare to the peaches I remember as a kid visiting my grandparents in PA. My Nana had the best back porch swing to sit and eat the juiciest peaches I'd ever eaten. 

But I live in L.A. and you get what get and you don't get upset...and you hold on to those precious childhood memories!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

With the first gleam of morning rays...

...the garden is a prism of a thousand hues refracted in tiny does of crystal dew 

(part of The Vanishing Act by Duane Michals)

I'm in love with morning light...morning anything really. "Warm and vertical" as my dad says is always a good thing!

Linking up with Kim Klassen cafe Texture Tuesday Light E-dition. Used her beautiful "Robin's Egg" texture here.

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

At arms length...

...but close at heart

*I'm  feel total peace now that my son is home from Kuwait. I'm sure as mothers, you know how much worry you can carry on your shoulders. It wasn't until I saw Justin & he physically hugged me that I realized just how much I really carried and how light I felt when the burden of his absence was gone.

Packing a suitcase in 4 minutes & catching a plane at a moments notice changed me. (I'm a planner with a side of Anal!) Taking the NOW YOU course has changed me. In the few short weeks since I began, I have a better understanding of me. A stronger acceptance of who I am & that the camera is NOT my enemy...I am....or was. AMAZING things can happen when your head and your heart have a little one on one & manage to get it together long enough to see that it's all good!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

Want some candy...

...little girl?

This week for NOW YOU we're being whimsical.

I have No Problem playing dress up.

~Meet my alter ego...

...Stella

*There are those that have been following me for a while now know I have an alter ego. Her name is Stella. 

She rocks!

*Dregs*

Now You

Happy Snapping

xo

Kelly

Over the moon...

...with happiness

Home from the Middle East

It happened like this...

*Got home from work Monday @ 1:30-

*Got a text from Justin saying he'll be in New Mexico Tuesday @ noon

*Frankie whipped out his pc to check availability on flts (we fly stand by)

*Frankie- "YOU HAVE TO GO NOW"

*Me-"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO GO NOW?"

*Frankie-"You have to go now to catch a 4:30 flt or you will miss his homecoming."

*Me-packed a suitcase in under 4 minutes (made sure I AT LEAST had eye liner & clean undies) everything else was suitcase surprise-You have to know me to understand what a break through this was! 

Made it from the valley to LAX and to my gate in an hour!

It was like the Red Sea had Parted JUST for me. ANYBODYwho knows the 405 KNOWS what a slight miracle this was. Frankie and Austin came in on a Southwest flt 30 minutes after me.

I gave my Frankie my camera and he snapped away!

Here's proof that everyday miracles DO happen!

I feel like I'm so behind on everything but will play catch up this weekend!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

I LOVE my...

...i-phone!

I know that photography is as much a part of me as breathing and eating is! I can't get enough of it. I walk through my day with a photographers eye & always on the lookout at what can I snap at next! 

Thanks to the 

i-phone & the awesome editing apps, It's another great way of expression and getting creative. I mean isn't that what photography is suppose to be...FUN!?

So here are this weeks i-phone snaps...

Oh yeah baby....Bisquick Coffee Cake in Muffin Form! I'll be posting more pics and the recipe soon-

Hey...I want you to come back and visit!

I know...I'm such a tease!

I love Austin's guitar and the music he makes. I'll miss that when he goes off to school.

I LOVE the Lomography look!

Headin' down the highway...Frankie Driving, me playing. Sure makes for a fun car ride!

THIS...is my new baby! I have been wanting a HOLGA for over a year now. I've hemmed and hawed about it for that long. But today...Lady Luck smiled upon me! I went to Urban Outfitters where I know they're sold. As I was hemming & hawing some more, I decided to go look at the clearance stuff while I was debating with myself! (Do ya'll do that?!)

 There she was-Not my 1st choice of color, but my first Holga for $10 bucks! 

T-E-N  D-O-L-L-A-R-S!

Hello...that's a NO BRAINER! The film was more expensive than the camera. I did treat myself to color and Lady Grey B&W film.

Now, I can't wait to take her someplace special!

Happy Mother's Day ladies. I hope you enjoy your day...However you spend it!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

P.S. You can find me on Instagram...kellykardos

I wrote 2 love notes...

...one to my husband,

The Love of My Life

...one to myself for Now You

Seriously, when's the last time you loved on yourself...even a little?

I bet it's been a long time...go on...I triple dog dare you to write yourself a love note...and share....oooooooh

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly
I added a linky thingy...not sure if it's working. If you can't add your photo, please let me know. If I see your lovin', I know I did it right!

This and...

...that

When my aunt, Ms. M, was visiting she asked to see the process of editing a photo from camera to final. I don't know how we got on the subject, but she thought because my eyeliner was perfect all the time that maybe I had my lids tattooed. I thought-cool-blog love right there! Thanks M!

No tats on this gal but I have every color of Glimmerstick that Avon Home has.

AND...right now during campaign 11, they are on sale for $2.99. I love the smooth application and it stays on all day no problem. Oh and I am an unpaid spokesperson for Avon! 

Used Black Ice-

*Last week I was informed that there isn't any money in the district's budget to keep me. I was expecting the news but it's never fun to hear. Now I'm in the hands of our P.A.T.H. (like a P.T.A.) and it will be put to a vote next week if the board will pay to keep me. I believe, with every fiber of my being, that things happen for a reason & no doubt, what is meant to be, will be.

*I want to end on a good note though. My son, Justin, who is deployed somewhere in the Middle East is coming home next week!! 

~Happy Dance~

Because of security reasons, I can't know the exact date until he's closer to home. So when you don't see me for a few days-you know I'm excitedly flying to New Mexico to greet my son as he steps onto U.S. soil and into his mother's arms!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

The Hunt...

...is on

I had so much fun with this weeks Scavenger Hunt Prompts. Depending on my creativity mood some weeks can be tougher than others. But these? I had more ideas than time! 

Here are my interpretations:

SHADOW

KEYS

SMILE

UNEDITED-SOOC

UNEDITED-SOOC

FISH

oh yeah-I went there...

...before I went to a KAHOOTS!

They were so cool about letting me shoot.

Now, I'm going to hop over and peek at YOUR pics for this week!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

Book...

...Review

*My mom, who lives in Fl., my Aunt M, who lives up in No Ca, & I have our own little book club. We can't all be together in person but we are definitely together in the spirit of reading. We text furiously when we get to that first "gasp" moment. Our current book is Between Shades of Gray-It is page turner from the very get go. We LOVE historical fiction and wonder where we were in 7th grade history! Well, if history was written like this I would have made straight A's!

Picking out the perfect book mark is part of a new read ritual for me. My mom made me this one :-)

 I hope books are NEVER replaced by electronic readers. I need to smell, and feel that book paper.

There is just something so magical curling up in your special nook to take time for yourself and get lost in a good book.

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

Used KK's awesome new texture "heartbeat"

Terra...

...Firma

*Latin for "solid earth"*

This week for NOW YOU we're exploring roots & wings.

 I have roots & am very firmly planted on solid earth where I know it is safe. I mentioned in a previous post that I have a very curious nature but I've never been a risk taker-I don't like the unknown. I  am that person that will go through every possible scenario before I even think about leaping. I know I will not reap rewards with out risk but I also know I won't suffer consequences. If something is THAT important, I will go for it. I'm even ok if I fail-Failing is not a sign a weakness but of strength in trying. I'm completely content feeling the earth under me. It's strong and doesn't give way.

 Standing firm like a foundation for all the rest that is to come.

Happy Snapping

xo

Kelly

The greatest gift...

...of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.

Hanna Rion

I've been dying to get to this small Japanese garden we have in town to do one thing and one thing only...

To play with the TV mode on my camera so I can capture that smooth water movement I've been dying for years to try and understand! Now granted, this isn't the prettiest water fall but you work with what you've got! I couldn't set my aperture lower than 25 because no tripods allowed AND I shot this at high noon! With that said...I'm ready for Hawaii!

 Hear that baby...H-A-W-A-I-I!

Hee Hee...I'm rather tickled!

Yep...Hawaii!

I notice I tend to look for details rather than the whole when I shoot. I'm not a 100% sure why I do this. Maybe I'm more comfortable shooting the things that most people wouldn't notice & I want to share that. If I see the big picture I immediately zero in to look for the finer things and want to know why something is. I have a very curious nature.

I was obsessed with this water feature.

I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I'm off to see what you all have been up to!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly