Boom Boom Pow

I've never been able to take decent pictures of fireworks, so this weekend I wanted to flex my new camera's muscles. I took some time to research tips on shooting fireworks and was really happy with the results. These shots involve a tripod and some reallllly long shutter speeds.

4th of July Perfection

Great food. Family. Good conversation. And the weather COULD NOT have been better. Here's what we were up to:

I got THREE pictures of Seth smiling. That has to be some kind of record.

Chastin tubing:

Mama and baby porpoises:

Golf cart parade:

Best part about Jarvis Landing is riding bikes:

Sugar has learned how to climb the ladder up onto the pier. She doesn't know that she's a dog.

And to top it all off, the fireworks display was awesome. I'll be posting those pics tomorrow.

The only thing that could have made the weekend better was if it had lasted longer. Hope you had a happy 4th!

Lori & Reggie's Wedding

My aunt got married last weekend in Charlotte. It was a beautiful wedding and so great to have all of the family together for the weekend. Here are some of my favorite shots.

The four sisters:

These three little girls had a blast together:

Love this shot of the siblings after the wedding:

New family:

This little girl got all the attention:

Me and my suster:

The whole clan:

Sending off the couple:

And of course, it's not a Chadwick family function until someone breaks out in song:

Congrats Lori and Reggie!

Father's Day Dinner

We had both of our families up for dinner on Saturday to celebrate Father's Day.

I did a terrible job of taking pictures of actual PEOPLE, so instead I'll show you the menu and pictures of the FOOD.

Appetizers

Fresh Bruschetta

Bacon-wrapped Jalapenos

Beverages

Fresh Lemonade

Sweet Tea

Main

Barbecue Chicken

Baked Beans

Twice Baked Potatoes

Summer Pasta Salad

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Dessert

Nutella Cheesecake

I don't really use a recipe for the bruschetta, it's just a mixture of diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and salt and pepper.

Some of the jalapenos were really really mild, and some packed a punch. The only problem? You can't tell which 'til you bite in.

Twice baked potatoes are a lot of work but oh so worth it.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the pasta salad but it's nice and colorful. Here's the recipe: 16 oz. box rotini pasta, 4 hard boiled eggs, 1 cucumber, 2 diced tomatoes, 1 chopped green onion, 1 chopped onion, 2 shredded carrots. Mix together with dressing made from 1 3/4 cups mayo, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp salt.

These rolls were gorgeous, and pretty tasty too.

This was my first attempt at cheesecake, and it was pretty amazing if I do say so myself. Nutella makes EVERYTHING better.

The food was delish and I think everyone had a great time. Sugar sure was sad to see everyone go!

This Week: Hydrangeas

Courtesy of my mom's gigantic hydrangea bush.

It's the Small Things

Before:

After:

Peonies

It's hard for me to describe how much joy these have brought me this week.

Flowers on the nightstand feels SO luxurious.

Peonies are officially my new favorite.