Day 19: A talent of mine

Hardly anyone knows this because even though I might've trained in singing since age 12yrs I hate singing in front of people.  I have a fear...BUT for my family & voice trainer Anne hearing me growing up...they know I can sing a sweet, soul like "summertime" from Porgy & Bess (Yes this white girl here can sing soul).

Day 18: What tickles my fancy??? CHAI

CHAI!!! MMMMMM

So, I recently made an amazing discovery.  

I must not get out much because I tried Chai Tea for the first time at Paris on the Platte in Denver last Friday evening.  I loved the taste of the ginger, cinnamon & cloves mixed with other spices.  DELICE!  Paris on the Platte was a superbly exciting adventure for all of us who went out because it's a nice sit down resturaunt w/ the sounds of local bands playing in the background.  Overall the ambiance was delightful.  I have to say..most of the music was great with the exception of a female vocalist squawking like a bird through the microphone.  Interesting vocal backups there!!!  

I think they were singing about nature....but Julia & I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

With the mix of art posted on the wall, nice guitar playing in the background (besides the squawking song), Pesto Chicken Sandwich & wild honey crepes that were SO good. 

Anyone craving a little art, wonderful food & music should go :)

I'd have to say Paris On the Platte absolutely tickles my fancy

http://www.parisontheplattecafeandbar.com/

Day 17: An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)

GUSTAV KLIMT 1862-1918

(My favorite artwork)

Gustav Klimt was a promient Austrian painter and one of the foremost members of what was called the Vienna Art Nouveau movement. He painted with an intention of conveying far deeper meaning that which the objects alone would suggest. He painted about the explorations of human relationships.  He once was quoted saying "Enough of censorship...I want to break free" and so he did creating very modern art pieces for his time.

This work was part of his 'Golden period'.  The Kiss shows the man and woman sharing joy, symbolically dissolving in an embrace.  All of his paintings have an Italian mosaic look to them.  Very unique!

Here are a couple of my other favorites by him

Day 16: Influential person I admire

 

 Audrey Hepburn

1929(1929-05-04) –1993

I admire this woman not only for being a classic actress who's movies I love but also for her humanitarian work she devoted herself to.  My favorite movies of hers are 'Roman Holiday', 'Funny Face' & 'Sabrina'.

Her Favorite Quotes:
Time Tested Beauty Tips
"For attractive lips, speak
words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out
the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food
with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child
                                                                run his fingers through it once a day.
                                                                  For poise, walk with  the knowledge you'll never walk alone...
                                                                

People, even more than things,
have to be restored, renewed, revived,
reclaimed, and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.
Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.
As you grow older you will
discover that you have two hands.
One for helping yourself,
the other for helping others."

Fun Facts:

*In 1944, Hepburn had become a proficient ballerina
*One year after Marylin Monroe sang "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to President Kennedy Hepburn, the President's favorite actress, sang "Happy Birthday, Dear Jack" to him, on what turned out to be his final birthday (29 May 1963)

*Soon after Hepburn's final film role, she was appointed goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Children's Fun (UNICEF). She dedicated the remainder of her life to helping impoverished children in the poorest nations. Hepburn's travels were made easier by her wide knowledge of languages; she spoke seven languages fluently, including French, Italian, Spanish, English, Dutch, and German.

*She was very self-conscious about her size-10 feet.
*Was trained as a dental assistant before making it big.

Audrey Hepburn Foundation 

Day 15: My dream wedding

So, I'm not really into planning out my wedding that hasn't happened yet.  Just not on my list of things to think about lol but this bloggers challenge kind of forced me to think of something I'd like :)

As a Destination Wedding photographer I have had such great opportunities to travel to many beach side weddings.

AND if I've learned one thing from all the many weddings I've photographed, it's keep it happy/keep it simple :) *That's just for me though*  Big & fancy just isn't my style.

When I have photographed destination weddings I don't think I've loved any job more.

Everyone is so laid back, at ease with the arrangements, ready for a good time w/ a beautiful beach scenery & party after on the beach.  Plus you get the honeymoon in the same location!! Every bride I've encountered at a destination wedding is so relaxed.  If it's relaxing...that's for me! Plus for anyone who has gone to an island even for vacation there's what's considered "Island Time".  That's just whenever it happens.  The time doesn't really matter down there.

That's why I vote (we'll see) I get married on the beach at sunset w/ no shoes & just the sand between my  toes & palm trees.  Put on some Rastafarian music for the after party w/ all my closest family & friends...you've got one happy Becca :)

This was actually a fun discovery for me!! I love the ocean, beach, palm trees & simplistic style of things so there we go!  But then again...there's always the grooms opinion lol so like I said...we'll see :)  OR just Elope but that tends to make family upset...for some reason!!??

Day 14: A photograph of my best friend

 

Family Forever, Friends for Life

 I don't really tend to have just one best friend, instead have a lot of close friends that make my life a better place to be in.  But the gal that's been there since pretty much my infancy & awesome pal is my cousin Ruth.  So, I'll nominate her! She's got a wonderful heart & strong character.  I can tell her anything & the best part is she'll be around for life.  Growing up we'd spend many summers on the slip n' slide, making home made Reece's peanut butter cups, catching crawdads in a pond by her home, she'd "allow me" to borrow her awesome 90's clothes that I apparently hardly ever returned :) *I thought her wardrobe rocked* 

But to all the other people in my life that mean so much to me, Thank You for all the love and support a girl could need.  Along with being good influences. I just love my friends!!!

Day 13: A photo of something that means a lot to me

 

So, I know the blogger challenge assigned me to something that means a lot to me but I don't really have any material possessions that I NEED to have or mean a lot to me.  So instead I decided to put up a portrait of my all time favorite Granny :) She's 94yrs old & still dancin, laughin, making raspberry jam, home made tortillas, tending to her garden, feeding chickens on the farm & feeding cows.  She's AMAZING! I love her spirit & everything that she's done for me growing up.  I've never seen her un kind or rude.

I hope she's around for many years to come because she is one wonderful, delightful Grandma.

Day 12: Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

 

PARAGLIDING

I'm not a big sports girl unless it comes to Hockey or just playing Soccer on the field with friends but when it comes to dare devil, high Adrenalin antics I'm there! Not implying a death wish of course but I love the rush of trying new, exciting things.  This summer I'm going for it... Paragliding has been on my list of things to do.  Just the rush of running, jumping off a cliff or mountain & flying in the air for a little while (with a safety net) sounds so exhilarating. 

Cool quote:  "For once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return.

Leonardo da Vinci

Day 11: 15 Facts about me :)

 15 Facts About Me

1) I LOOOVE the fragrance of lilacs. The best smell in the world!

2) I enjoy comedies over the mushy movies

3) I write poetry & have a whole binder full of poems I've written since High School over 15 yrs ago.

4) I am trained in classical theater & can sing in Italian & German since age 12.

5) I can't whistle like most people.  Instead I can whistle like a bird from a Disney film...I'm whistle challenged....or just destined to play a bird in a Disney film??

6) My worst fear is getting bitten by a poisonous snake

7) Italy is my dream place to visit.  I wouldn't mind a small home in Tuscany or Pasitano someday as a retiree.

8) I can play a mean game of checkers ;)

9) I never suck on hard candy.  I chew

10) I love learning about History, Science & Biology

11) I'm not a jewelry kind of girl, more shoes!!!

12) My favorite Artists  & Songs are Sting "Fields of Gold", David Gray "Sail Away" & Ray Lamontagne's "All the Wild Horses"

13) I make an amazing poppy seed cake!!

14) I love the ocean & warm climates.

15) Gustav Klimt & Edmund Blair Leighton are my favorite artists

Day 10: A photo of me taken over ten years ago

 

 This was taken at Belleview Elementary in Colorado where I encountered my first photographer.  

She wanted to take my pic & there my love of photos began!!

Looking at it makes me wish I could re-wind and enjoy my childhood all over again.  Those were the days!! Lemme tell ya...Cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast, playing on the playground with friends, being a girl scout & the only fights worth getting in were about someone stealing my crayons :)  Time flies...

Day 9: A photo I took

MEXICO

 I took these photos in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where I got to enjoy a wonderful vacation with the family I've know for over five years.  I watched their kids grow up babysitting & they are all an amazing bunch of people.  We got to stay in this insanely awesome home for a week & enjoy zip lining, genuine Mexican tacos (which are so SO good), an amazing view, tons of fun & adventures.   The view was so beautiful over looking the beach and resort & someone even spotted a whale swimming.  Tons of beach volleyball & there was even a cook who came to the house to make us breakfast every morning...ahhh! Good times!

 

Day 8: A photo that makes me angry/sad

Now this is sad!  LOL

 

Day 7: A Photo that makes me happy

 

 Me & my sis

There are many things I love in this world but at the top of my list are 1)My ginormous Family 2)Food & 3)My sisters Ashley & Mk (not in that order since food should never go before sisters & family lol)

This photo was taken a couple summers ago in Hamilton, MT.  Where my father, sisters & entire Gandara side family pretty much live.  Along with one rad Grandma (age 94 that was kickin it not too long ago on the dance floor at my brother's wedding).  I have an awesome family!  

I got to enjoy an amazing summer with the people I love dearly & got to get a little closer to my sisters.  I love those girls so much I wanted to move there.  I began making plans but because of the economy situation couldn't make that possible...darn it!

The hard part is not being there for them like I'd like to but I cherish those girls. 

That summer I got to grow closer to my aunt Lolie, Grandma, Brother's, Sisters, Dad, enjoy the reminders of my late step mother Corina (much missed in passing) & enjoy the beautiful nature God made.  It's stunning out there!  It was a wonderful summer full of laughs, tears, happiness & growth.  Plenty of horse riding too!  Many nights hangin with my brother Josh & his fun friends watching more horror flicks than I've allowed to see myself in a lifetime (for a reason because I'm a pansy when it comes to scary movies.  I'll grab anyone next to me like its actually real...yes I know I seem ridiculous but its true).  

But bonding..none the less :)

Family's are truly wonderful! I've always said Montana is like my second home & I loved making those memories that summer.

Day 6: My Celebrity Crush

Okay, I'm going to be ridiculously honest & might even embarrass myself (slightly) posting this.  Let's say you walk in a room and see the Chiseled Tom Welling (Smallville) & Hot, funny man Ryan Reynolds in the room which one would you choose?  It's a toss up :)

Ryan Reynolds:
Named "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2010, has a love of motorcycles, fantastic sense of humor, looks like a supermodel & stellar physique.  He knows how to pick the right roles too because he seems to always get us ladies all chocked up like in the romantic comedies such as "The Proposal" as a sensitive, hopeless romantic (but not over the top) type & "Definitely Maybe" where he plays a single father.  He's a man's man & a woman's man...he's THE man!

Then we have Tom Welling:
He has played the young superman in the t.v. hit series
'Smallville' as clark kent. What lady wouldn't want to watch a handsome super hero rescue citizens in distress?  Sure he hasn't made any blockbuster
hits & his film "The Fog" was a major flop but he's got a killer bod,
nice green eyes & chisled jaw (which is pretty attractive).
He was an Abercrombie & Fitch model who turned actor.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say he's a 14!!

Day 5: My Favorite Quote

One of my favorite quotes:

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives. -Dalai Lama

Day 4: My Favorite Book

If anyone is like me who has a love affair with delectable treats then this is a great book for you.  These french women are geniuses!!!  I read this years ago & it makes me want to dine with the french every night & enjoy their guilty pleasures while staying slim.  Did you know they don't use fitness clubs like we do in America?  They walk!! Go figure.  They also use meal time as a social event & their portions are they tiniest ever.  But I took on this challenge before.  I lost pounds in a short amount of time & found that if I savored every bit while chewing slowly...I got fuller faster :)  I ate till I was satisfied & not full.  That's how those delightful women keep their shape.  There was no diet, they say the trick is to walk everywhere, buy fresh foods, plan out meals for the week, have dinner parties & they love the sweet pastries...but they also don't over indulge.  It's portion control.

The American way is so much fast food, greasy, eat till your stuffed type of culture.  But I really found the french lifestyle so much more appealing.

Eating for pleasure instead of trying to get full...now that's a wonderful dining experience.  They say you should count to 100 for each bite.  I really couldn't live up to that challenge it was more like 25 seconds tops but I found out that if you really taste the flavor, the food is so much more delightful :)

Now what sounds more appealing:  Eating whatever you like till you are satisfied while losing weight? Or Eating 6 Cheesticks behind your personal trainers back?? Doh! I didn't do that I promise!!!  I think there's a lot America can learn from the french.

I must admit...a busy American life of work, entertainment & life in general got in my way but it's a brand new year & I LOVE LOVE LOVE this lifestyle.  I'm bringing this back into my life & lovin all the recipes Mireille Guiliano shares in the book. 

 Belle trouvaille!!!!

http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/

Here are some of my favorite recipes :)

Baked Apricots

INGREDIENTS

16 apricots, halved and pitted
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounces dry vermouth
3 ounces honey

Yield: 6 Servings

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lay the apricots skin-side up in overlapping rows in an ovenproof dish. Mix the vanilla with the vermouth, and pour over the apricots. Drizzle the honey over, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the apricots are tender.

Allow to cool, then chill. Serve with crème fraîche or whipped cream (on top of yogurt is another option).

Duck Breasts with Strawberries

This recipe is a summertime play on the “Duck Breasts with Pears” recipe included in The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. It’s a chic dish and so easy and quick (less than 15 minutes) to do.

INGREDIENTS

4 (6- to 7-ounce) duck magrets (breasts)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons butter

RECIPE

1. Pat the duck breasts dry and score the skin diagonally at 1-inch intervals with a sharp knife to create a diamond pattern (be careful not to cut into the meat); season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the duck breasts, skin side down. Cook for 8 minutes, allowing the fat to render and the skin to become crisp. Turn over and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the pan, cover, and rest for 10 minutes.

3. While the duck breasts are resting, melt butter and cook sliced strawberries. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve on duck breast with a shallot compote

Blog Challenge Day 3: Good ol Seinfeld

My favorite T.V. show of all time is Definitely 'Seinfeld'.

There's a few great one's out there but when you get a spastic Kramer, womanizing George Costanza, Serial Dating Jerry & Hilarious Elaine all together in a show that's really about nothing...it's a good time.

My favorite classic episodes are when George poses for the camera on the chaise lounge for Kramer, the Kennedy reenactment at a baseball game when someone spits on Kramer, The soup Nazi & "The Bro" a bra for dudes.

I grew up watching this & I'll definitely keep all the seasons on DVD for life.

Funny Seinfeld quote of the day: 

"Yeah, I’m a great quitter: it’s one of the few things I do well… I come from a long line of quitters. My father was a quitter, my grandfather was a quitter… I was raised to give up" - George Costanza

You can watch:

Seinfeld JFK assassination

And the soup nazi scene :)

Day 2: Your Favorite Movie

When I began stewing over the idea of my favorite movie this morning the divine comedy 'Zoolander' came to mind.  Okay, let's breakdown this awesome movie....

Derek Zoolander the fashion icon in the Industry known for his 'Blue Steel, Magnum & Le Tigre' and oh so much versatility ;) has a mental breakdown after losing the 'Model of the Year' award to Hansel...SO Hot right now!!!! Not to mention his friends all die in a freak gasoline fight accident causing him to ponder what's most important in life.  Being either rediculously good looking or building a 'Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too'.  No let's just take a look at that center name for a  sec....okay! In reality..I'd be afraid to send my kids there.  Just sayin.

But back to the story.  

Mugatu (played by Will Ferrel) comes in as the evil villain who wants to kill the prime minister of Malaysia since he's stopping the production of sweat shops that are killing the fashion industry & panty lines all over the world.  Zoolander gets brainwashed & manipulated by Mugatu with his dream center.  Which Zoolander seems offended at first with the model center which he clearly states "What is this? A center for ants? How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read... if they can't even fit inside the building?" Oh Boy! 

With all the dance offs, break dance fighting, celebrity appearances by David Bowe, Lance Bass & David Duchovney & awkward comments always being made by Derek..We have one heck of a good movie choice.  I think with the right crowd, it's a non stop laugh marathon.

Cool Zoolander quote of the day:

I caught my reflection in a spoon while I was eating my cereal, and I remember thinking "wow, you're ridiculously good looking, maybe you could do that for a career."

Day 1: Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

It's a brand new year so I decided to make 2011 my year of blogging.
A little about me:
I am the second oldest of a wonderful blended family.  Three Brothers & two sisters.  Have the world's greatest mother that always does know best...how does she do that?  I think it's a mom thing.  I've been blessed to live in a great state and own my own business as a Professional Photographer.  My job has been amazing taking me to places such as Belize, San Francisco, New York, Hawaii & of course all over Colorado.  Soon you'll be seeing pictures of the Louvre & Eiffel Tower in Paris on my site since I'm happy to say I'll be going to Europe for the first time ever :)  An amazing opportunity to travel with my buddy Jules**You Rock Jules**  

Cool qoute of the day

"Life is like a wave, so you best learn how to surf"

So, to go along w/ a blogging Challenge  Day 1: Whatever tickles your fancy

What tickles my fancy?? First thing that pops into my head are pink lemonade cup cakes at My Big Fat Cupcake in Denver.  Completely delicious & totally packed full of calories (My personal trainer won't like this blog).  As you read more of my blogs you'll discover my love affair with food.  Not the "She's eating her feelings" type of love affair but I love trying a little bit of everything & savoring the decadent taste of different cultures delights.

Here's the link
http://www.bigfatcupcake.com/location.htm
MMMMM! Enjoy :)