Since Lincoln turns three years old today, I thought it appropriate to feature him in today’s post.

We had so much fun photographing him and his parents downtown a couple of weeks ago.

As you can see from the photos, there was lots of snuggling, romping and even some pre-Halloween mask making. Of course, we couldn’t pass up a little play time in the fountain.

Lincoln, we want to wish you a very happy birthday! It’s been such a joy watching you grow over these last few years.

If you can’t get enough of this little cutie, you may want to check out these sessions too.
Beverly Hills
Disney Land
Griffith Observatory

Weekend mornings are made for hearty, scrumptious dishes like this one. Plus, cooking this hash in the same pan that you serve it in cuts down on cleaning, leaving you more time to linger with your paper and coffee.  

Here’s what you’ll need for 2 servings:
4 small fingerling potatoes 
1/2 of a yellow onion 1/2 of a red pepper 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter + half tablespoon reserved 
1/4 cup of frozen spinach, squeezed of all liquid 
2 eggs Parmesan cheese 
Red pepper flakes 
Salt & Pepper  

Here’s what you do:
Boil the potatoes for approximately 5 minutes until fork tender. Drain and cut into 1/4″ pieces
Chop the onion and red pepper into 1/4″ pieces
Heat your cast iron skillets over medium heat (If you don’t have individual skillets like these, use a large one. A regular frying pan works fine too just double the amounts)
Melt butter in skillets
Add onions and red pepper and cook for a few minutes
Once vegetables start to color, add potatoes
Season with salt, pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes
Once potatoes turn golden brown, add the spinach
Make a well in the middle of each skillet
Add half of your reserved butter to the wells you’ve created and drop in an egg
Turn the heat down to low and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are runny
Top generously with Parmesan and dig in!

If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy making my Dad’s famous French Toast.

Because so many of you expressed interest in a previous post I did about how I combine apps to enhance my iPhone photos, I thought I would share some more of my favorite combinations.

I shot this photo in San Diego. While Larry was checking us out of our hotel, I dashed across the street to a park in search of interesting images.
It was one of those rare days when there were lots of pretty clouds in the sky so I wanted to incorporate them somehow.
I thought the negative space between the branches of this tree had potential so following the rule of thirds, I placed my subject, (in this case the tree) in the lower right corner of my frame and took the shot.
This photo is okay but I was sure it could be enhanced by some apps.

One of my all time favorites is Plastic Bullet. It mimics the effect of a plastic camera like a Diana or Holga.
What’s really fun about this app is that the effects are completely random – meaning once you upload the photo you want to work on from your photo library, it gives you a series of different looks. If you see one you like, save it, because that particular color /vignetting combination will not appear again.
I thought this app would work well with this image because I wanted to give it more of a mood. I felt the original lacked dimension and didn’t tell much of a story.
As much as I like the color and romantic aspect Plastic Bullet gave this shot, it did make it a bit dark so I turned to another of my favorite apps for help in lightening it up.

Camera Bag is the very first app I ever downloaded and it’s the only one I used for quite a long time. If you download only one photo enhancing app, this should be the one. Within it, you can give your photos a wide variety of different looks. Everything from “Colorcross” to “Lightleak” is on offer here. One style I use a lot is called “Instant” and yes, it does mimic a Polaroid. It also lightens the center of the photo and imparts a warm tone which I felt this photo really needed.

I hope you found this useful and that you’ll give some new photo apps a try. If you liked this post, you might want to check this one out too. You can also see lots more of my iPhone photos on Followgram.

If you’re ready to share your artful iPhone photos with the world, join Instagram. My user name is isabellawrence. Let me know when you’ve joined so I can ‘follow’ you.

Owning an original Isabel Lawrence image couldn’t be easier or more affordable! Your free download is waiting for you right now. Just follow the simple instructions and enjoy.

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You know what they say about the couple that plays together…

“I saw old autumn in the misty morn
stand shadowless like silence, listening
to silence.”

~Thomas Hood

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They say you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. If that is true, then Marisa and Tyler’s family and friends speak volumes about them. The fact that Marisa’s sister-in-law to-be spent months designing and sewing every stitch of her gorgeous wedding gown is impressive enough, but add to that, Tyler’s childhood friend decorating a wedding cake elaborately festooned with charming details like a sugar replica of Annie their beloved Shitzou and a sweet little tree stump topper carved with their names, and you have a couple that clearly instills deep loyalty and devotion in those who know them.
This shouldn’t have been a surprise to me however. When Larry and I first met Marisa and Tyler for their engagement session a few months ago, they were so open and genuine that we felt as if we had been friends forever. I know this sentiment is one which is bandied about a lot on blogs like ours, but I truly do mean it. These two radiate so much warmth and love, not just to each other but to anyone lucky enough to come in contact with them.
Their lovely wedding took place at the The Victorian in Santa Monica. The folks at Holly Flora (which by the way, is quickly becoming my favorite floral studio of all time) really out-did themselves. The tables were strewn with geodes, moss, antlers and minerals. The crocheted table cloths provided the perfect nubby texture underneath. Marisa’s bouquet was an explosion of beautiful color and fragrance. I could have spent the entire day just photographing the flowers. By the way, did you notice Marisa’s very cute and comfy Tom’s shoes? She said she was inspired by a recent blog post of ours encouraging brides to choose comfortable footwear for their wedding day. How typical of her to wear shoes that are not only adorable but serve a good cause too.
Marisa and Tyler,  we wish you all the best in your new life together. We know you will continue to broaden your circle of friends and fans. You can count us in as your newest members.

If you’d like to see images from Marisa and Tyler’s engagement session, click here.