Avi and Robert Photo Shoot

Over the weekend I had the great pleasure of photographing a beautiful couple as they anxiously await the arrival of their first child. Avi and Robert were wonderful and so fun to photograph. I could feel the excitement as they prepare to become parents for the first time and the love they have for each other. While the day was a bit gloomy Avi and Robert were all smiles.  

I can't wait to meet the baby in the next few weeks - - I know there are a lot of people waiting for the call that baby Killip has arrived!

If you are interested in helping me put together my portfolio please e-mail me at leorackimmel@gmail.com or comment below.  

Getting Back in the Game!

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. I have certainly been neglecting my blog the past few weeks but I have a lot to report. 

First thing - something not from my list, but non the less AWESOME.

I ran the Spartan Race last week. It was a 3 Mile run with 15 obstacles at Fenway Park (for my Canadian Friends that is where the Red Sox play…it’s Baseball). I ran every stair in the park, carried 30 pound sand bags, rowed, climbed walls, crawled under walls and so much more. It was an amazing experience. One of the things I really liked about it was I never got bored. I often struggle  with boredom while running, especially as the cold weather moves in which takes my running inside. Physically, I can keep going. Mentally I stop.  This race did make me realize that I have it in me and seriously can do anything. 

Over the next few days I can’t wait to share some new recipes including; macaroni and cheese bites, and pumpkin chocolate cake with a vanilla cinnamon glaze, tell you about my trip to the ballet, and share a sneak peak of a photo shoot I did with an amazing couple expecting there first baby in just a few weeks.  Stay tuned and stay warm. 

Two Years to GO...

Today marks exactly 2 years to fulfill my 30 before 30 list. While it seems like a long time I think I am a little overwhelmed with everything I will have to accomplish in two years. I am going to try and focus on the ones that cost little to no money in the coming weeks and as I begin to write my final paper for school that will get the business plan off the list as well.  

Cheers to a year of fulfilling these goals, relaxing, smiling and having fun!

The First of MANY?

Warning: This blog post does not have anything to do with my 30 before 30 BUT it is exciting. Well at least for me!

As I begin to look for more creative outlets I have began to really take my photography more seriously. One of the things I have started to work on is putting together a portfolio. In order to do this I am asking friends and family to “hire” me to do family photos, maternity photos, fun photos, engagement parties, ect. I put hire in quotes because for now I am doing this for no charge on the hope that word of mouth will get my name out and I will be able to do this on the side.  (Yes, I still want to complete number 17 on my list and write my own business plan to start my own event planning company)

This week Ben’s very dear friend M invited me into her home to do some family photos. The kids were being silly, having fun in the hippo ball pit and being overly cute! It was also nice to get a few pictures of M and her Husband E.

Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot. 

If you are interested in helping me put together my portfolio please e-mail me at leorackimmel@gmail.com or comment below.  

Thank you to all my readers for your support as I begin the photography journey, or at least as I enjoy the creative outlet that it provides! 

# 4 Reconnecting

I wanted to write about number 4 on my list. Reconnecting. Most of the things I have put on my list of things to accomplish before I am 30 are tangible; I can clearly tell you if it has been accomplishment. In fact you could tell me if I succeeded or not. But reconnecting it not one of them. It is something only I will be able to judge and in fact if I accomplished it or not is entirely subjective. It is not the only personal/intangible thing I want to accomplish before I am 30, but it is something I really want to focus on.

So I want to reconnect. I mean this in so many ways. Reconnect with friends who still mean so much to me but who are not a part of my life in a way that I would want to. I want to find ways to spend weekends with friends and stop being so concerned with being home for the weekend. I need to find ways to schedule time in my day-to-day life to talk to my old friends in so many ways influenced who I am today.

As I get ready to move this weekend I have found so many old pictures. The memories that surfaced for me were so vivid, I truly felt like I was living through them again. I miss the people in the pictures who made me laugh, cry and helped me create life long memories. 

I also want to reconnect with B. You see as I wrote about on my anniversary, marriage is not easy. B and I had have had some major ups and major downs in our 3 years of marriage. We have lived in two states, changes jobs, I started grad-school, we went through the loss of a parent, 2 surgeries and even more- and we disconnected! 

This year, I am going to focus on making sure we are creating positive memories, choosing happiness, and living our lives to the fullest.  I want to find things for us to enjoy doing together while still remaining independent and going along with my own routine. I want us to find a balance. I know we will. We are pretty awesome when we put our mind to something.  

And lastly, I want to reconnect with myself. I want to spend time truly reflecting on what I want to do with my life. Where do I see myself professionally? How am I going to get there?

I want to laugh more and find new creative outlets for myself. I want to focus on happiness and living in the present. I can’t stress about the past and I surely can’t predict the future. I need to remember that. I will ALWAYS make time to take care of MYSELF. I realize that I cannot give what I do not have. I will focus on taking life on step at a time. Life is a journey and I need to start embracing it.

So there you have it. Its time to reconnect!

Happy Anniversary! 3 Years WOW

Today B and I celebrate 3 years of marriage. Yay Us! 

If anyone tells you that marriage is easy they are lying. It is a wonderful and amazing thing, but easy it is not. I see it as an accomplishment that we have been married for 3 years and when we fight we can still crawl into bed together. It’s a sign of strong love, devotion and commitment. We have had our own share of ups and down but as we move this weekend (literally) I truly believe this year will bring freshness and a new sense of calmness and happiness in our lives. We continue to learn from each other every single today. I love you always and forever! 

Recipe 8 of 100 - Peanut Butter Cookie Sticks

The same lovely evening that I made the amazing Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies I made these amazing Peanut Butter Cookie Sticks. Friends have been asking for this recipe and I have been very slow in the posting, my apologies.

To say that these were delicious is the ultimate understatement. They were ABSOLUTLEY fabulous! The smooth peanut butter flavor with the rich chocolate is just mouth watering. Here is the thing, make them if you have somewhere to bring them or people to feed them to. They are addictive.

If you get to make these please let me know how you enjoyed!

Peanut Butter Cookie Sticks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
(or sea salt)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
 OR Heath Bar chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and mix until well combined. Fold in the peanut butter chips and divide dough in half.

3. On the lined baking sheet, shape each portion into a 15-in. x 3-in. rectangle about 3 in. apart. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; pressing them lightly into the dough.(OKay really just split the dough into two parts and pat them out)

4. Bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes. (longer minutes for crispier cookies.) Cool for about 10 minutes. Cut with a serrated knife into 1-in. strips; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

They are amazing with a hot cup of coffee. I imagine that if you are a milk drinker these would be great dipped in a cold class of milk. 

ENJOY!