My Passion: Photography

Hey there, it's Chloe! As those of you know who follow us on Instagram (wait, what... you haven't yet? Follow us here!) I have always loved photography. It’s something that I think is hereditary as my grandfather, uncle, and mom have a passion for it as well. All of us have different styles, though, so it’s really interesting to see who sees what. My mom likes nature, my grandfather likes to pose us for pictures, and my uncle takes incredible animal photos & his underwater photography is beyond amazing. When I was in seventh grade, I saved every single penny that I made from various babysitting jobs to buy a camera. Everyone thought I was crazy, but spending my own money to buy a fancy DSLR was a kick in the rear to start learning everything I could learn. At first I was super into nature photography and taking photos of everything up close, but recently I have been really getting into portrait photography. Maybe taking OOTD pictures of my mom has something to do with it ;)

I take a photography class with a local wedding photographer, Sarah Katherine Davis, who has been an fabulous teacher and mentor. She graciously invited me to shadow her at a few of her weddings to see if wedding photography would strike my fancy. And it did. Strike my fancy, that is. I’ve fallen in love with love, or at least capturing love. I figured I would showcase a few of my favorite snapshots that I’ve captured because I'm feeling inspired. Feel free to leave your critiques - I love to hear feedback!

And, as fate would have it, we have 2 new photographers we have started working with since Geni is moving... and they both happen to be wedding photographers! We can't wait to introduce each of them to you, but go ahead and take a look at the portfolios of Erin Trimble & Susan Stewart and you'll see why we are so excited to have them as part of the Popcosmo family - and be on the lookout for their photos of us!

xox ~chloe

Teen Blogger Showcase: Citrus & Style

Introducing another one of my teen blogger friends: Caroline of Citrus & Style. Caroline is probably one of the most chic teenagers I know, and I'm so lucky to call her a bloggy friend! I even know that she's super fabulous in real life too, because she is one of the few bloggers that I have actually met face to face. We actually met this past summer and totally hit it off! I know Caroline looks up to Mackenzie Horan from Design Darling (in fact, I think I spot a necklace from her shop on her in the photo), but to be honest, I think Caroline is a stylish version Mackenzie Horan because I - and other girls - really do look up to her! Caroline's blog, Citrus & Style, is the perfect mix of fashion and lifestyle, and you have to check out her effortlessly stylish instagram account (@citrusandstyle).

Don't forget to check out these other fab teen bloggers we love: Gracey's post {here} and Sloane's post {here}.

xox ~ chloe

Golden Homemade Oreos

Nothing says kick back and settle in for the holidays than your favorite homemade recipe. And ours is a newfound favorite of an old, old love: Oreos! Who doesn't love to dunk an Oreo while watching a football game or hanging out with family, or twist off and scrape the inside filling? Even the most dessert-resistant among us, ahem, my Mom, can't resist an oreo {or 5} in a package. My brother & I decided to not only make our own, but to create the most irresistible version of homemade Oreos ever... and we think we did (we created 3 batches and taste tested each one)! Plus, you know how much I like gilding just about anything that isn't nailed down lately, so I bet you're not surprised that we've created Golden Homemade Oreos for the holidays! They are not only perfect for Hanukah, we think they are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years... well, you get the idea. Just don't count on them sticking around for long, especially if my Mom is around.

Golden Homemade Oreos Recipe

Cookie: One box 16.5 to 19-ounce chocolate fudge cake mix 1/3 cup water 2 to 4 Tbsp shortening gold food color spray - we used Wilton Color Mist

Filling: 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup shortening 4 Tbsp hot water

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Blend all the cookie ingredients with an electric mixer, then knead with your hands until it reaches the consistency of dough.

3. Roll the dough until it's a bit thicker than Oreo cookie thin (since they will thin out when cooking) and use a round cookie cutter to cut circles (we used a bottle cap). Place cookies 1/2" apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 4-6 minutes, or until as firm as you want (shorter for chewy, longer for crunchy).

4. Let cookies cool while you work on the filling.

5. Combine filling ingredients in an electric mixer and then mix with your hands until fully combined.

6. Once well combined, form balls about 1/2" - to 3/4" in diameter.

7. Place the filling ball in the center of the flat side of a cooled cookie and press with the flat side of another cookie until the filling spreads to the edge.

8. Take a piece of Glad Press & Seal and wrap tightly around the cookie and spray to achieve a 1/2 gold - 1/2 black cookie. To create an all gold cookie, just lightly spray your cookie. You could easily use cutouts and place them on the cookie held in place with some icing to create all sorts of shapes, but we like simple geometric boldness in our cookies!

The amount of cookies will depend on the size of your cookie cutter. Our homemade Oreos were about 2" in diameter and made approximately 15-20 cookies.

Recipe adapted from More Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur

And it's time again for our Holiday Extravaganza with our Fall Friends. Check out what some of our crafty blog friends have created this week for the fall & holidays and you might want to check in each Monday for more inspiration.

DIY Dinner napkins by Pink When

 

Thanksgiving conversation starter game (free printable) on The Pinning Mama

Fall pillow makeover on Sews N Bows

DIY Paper Flower Wreath by Fresh Idea Studio