Jack Pet Portraits l Roanoke VA Pet Photographer

Jack was such a happy boy!  His mom and dad wanted to get photos made for Christmas cards- what an awesome idea!  I met them all at Wasena Park in Roanoke for a few hours of photos and play time.  We all had a great time- enjoy looking through Jack's photos!

Roanoke Valley SPCA Pet Project l Roanoke VA Pet Photography

The Roanoke Valley SPCA Pet Project book is complete!  Here are just a few pages from the book :)  Books are for sale for $87.50 each with $20 from each book donated back to the RVSPCA.  Contact me by email or contact form on my website to purchase a copy!  Special thank you to Scott Willhite to designing the awesome cover!!

Together, for this book, we raised over $1,300 for the Roanoke Valley SPCA!!!!!!  Pat yourselves on the back :)

Here's just a sneak peek of a few of the pages in the book!

 

How to Make Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

This recipe makes the most creamy chocolate butter cream icing you have ever tasted.  It's so chocolatey and smooth!  It's heaven to eat just on a spoon or on fruit... ok, you can put it on cupcakes too :)

What you will need:
1. 2 cups bakers cocoa
2. 4-5 cups confectionery (powdered) sugar
3. 2 cups of butter (4 whole sticks), softened
4. 1 - 1 1/2 cups of whole or vitamin D cow's milk
5. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
6. Hand or table mixer
*This recipe makes enough icing for 20-25 cupcakes

Step 1.  Cream your butter! 

Creaming butter is an easy step to make all of your baked goods or yummy toppings nice and fluffy.  All you have to do is place your softened butter into a large bowl with about 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat.  You can use granulated sugar, but your icing won't be quite as fluffy.  If your butter is straight out of the fridge, soften it carefully in the microwave 5-10 seconds at a time.  You don't want it to start melting! 

Slowly add in, at about 1/4 cup at a time, the powdered sugar as you beat your butter on a slow speed.  Continue this until you have added all of the 1 cup of powdered sugar and then increase your mixing speed gradually until you reach a medium to high speed.  By this point, your butter should be nice and fluffy!  Just a hint- use a spoon to mix in the powdered sugar by hand first before you use the mixer or you will create a cloud of powdered sugar in your kitchen :)

Creamed butter

Step 2. Add in 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

Step 3.  Add in the Cocoa, Milk and Powdered Sugar

This is where the recipe starts to look like icing!  Slowly add in 1/2 cup at a time of the powdered sugar and cocoa.  I would also suggest at this step to use a spoon to mix in the powdered sugar and cocoa by hand first to avoid making a mess!  Stir on low and gradually increase to medium speed until everything is mixed well.  Add small amounts of milk, 1/8 - 1/4 cups, at a time to keep the icing creamy.  There is no set amount of milk to use- just use as much as needed to get the consistency you want.

Cocoa Powder

Confectionery Sugar

 Step 4.  Making the Icing Fluffy

Now you just want to beat the icing at high speed once everything is mixed in.  This will make your icing light and fluffy!  Continue beating until you get your desired fluffiness. And that's it!  Oh wait... Step 5...

Finished Icing!!

Close up of finished icing

Step 5. Lick the mixers!!

Drew and Cari Married! l Roanoke VA Wedding Photographer

I met Cari when we were both in elementary school.  We played travel soccer together but then got separated based on age a few years later, so I didn't see her much for close to 15 years until one fateful day.  I was taking a tour of the building of the company where I now work- I had just gotten hired as an intern when I saw Cari's name tag on her cubicle.  I immediately thought what a small world Roanoke can be because I hadn't seen Cari since we were kids!  I was so glad to be able to catch up with her! 

I was honored to be able to capture all of these amazing moments on their wedding day for them.  Drew and Cari are a great fit for each other in every way :)

You can see the Roanoke Star!!

Fun with sparklers

Drew and Cari were actually already married when they had their church ceremony.  Their pastor for the wedding ceremony in the church was from North Carolina and apparently it is Virginia law that someone from Virginia must marry you.  So, they had a ceremony and actually got married before they got married again in the church.  I told them I would send them a bill for the second wedding :)  Just kidding!

First Dance