Feel LIke a New Place for Lunch? Baguettes.

Hungry? Kinda wanting somewhere different to go for lunch?

I've got a great new find for you.

Most Saturdays, I do my weekly shopping...Elk Grove Farmer's Market, Target, Trader Joe's...with a break for lunch in the middle. Usually my Mom and I go to Chevy's and split chicken fajitas, to the point where the waiter expects us each week! This Saturday, she was busy so I decided to try something different and ended up at a little sandwich place that Therese has raved about, Baguette's.

Originally opened by the folks who own the excellent Boulevard Bistro in Old Elk Grove, and then sold not too long ago to new owners, it retained the fresh and surprising menu filled with gourmet sandwiches. There's also a tempting bakery case, daily freshly made baguettes and ciabatta, breakfasts, and big glass dispensers of iced tea and lemonade so you can make your own Arnold Palmers. Add in a few chairs and tables outside, a cart full of magazines to browse, and a smattering of customers smacking their lips while trading bites of sandwiches and you have a definite find. Especially in Elk Grove, land of the chain restaurants, it's refreshing to have this option. There's not a ton of curb appeal, but it's worth getting past the strip-mall location and unassuming facade.

Too many mouth watering choices on the menu so I just went with the special, a shrimp salad sandwich with lemon aoili, avocado, arugula and sliced red cherry peppers, with a side of homemade brown rice salad. Had my Kindle loaded with new library books, my iced tea/lemonade combo, some shade and a comfy chair...happy Saturday. Even sitting on the side of a parking lot!

Photo | Baguettes

Photo | Baguettes

Baguettes • 9380 Elk Grove Florin Road, Elk Grove • Open every day 9 am - 3 pm.

See you there!

(Not a sponsored post. Just want to spread the love.)

Playing Model For a Day

One of the perks of my job is knowing wonderful photographers and having family photos taken over the years by these talented people. Chloe's been photographed by my dear friends Beth Baugher and Kelsey Edwards several times, starting when she was just four months old. Each time I really have to gear myself up to shoot...it's a lot of work, especially back when Chloe was little and not that excited about the whole process. But I treasure all of those beautiful photos and I'm so glad that I've made myself continue the tradition. I've also been sure to have pictures taken with me in them, and with Ron and my Mom too. So often we take eight million photos of our kids, but us Moms are nowhere to be seen. It can be tough to watch yourself age in this way...each time we shoot there are more lines on my face and bigger bags under my eyes, and I get a little blonder! (Luckily, there is the miracle of Photoshop and I can soften things a bit.)

This year, I was very eager to have Chloe shoot with Victoria Bradley, who does such a beautiful job on our lifestyle models at the agency. She really has a way with tweens and I was super excited to have her work her magic on my girl.

After waking up early to blow out Chloe's eight tons of hair and straighten all of it, I packed our trusty orange Saturn with lots of outfits and snacks, and we made our way to the Marin Headlands where we met Victoria and her assistant, Rachel. Despite my best Mapquest directions, I managed to take the wrong exit and get lost and flustered. Luckily Victoria was gracious enough to drive to where we were and lead me in to the location. There we were greeted by the fog rolling over the mountains, a curvy drive up the Headlands, and finally by the picturesque Presidio Riding Club with its stalls filled with gorgeous horses, friendly horse people, and an adorable shaggy terrier. Chloe got a little lipgloss and blush and then to be a star for the day.

If you don't know Victoria, you should. She makes everyone so comfortable, and has such a gentle and calm way about her. Parents and models always rave after shooting about what a great day they had, and we felt exactly the same way.

I took some photos throughout the day, and thought I'd share them with you to show a little of what goes on behind the scenes at this type of shoot, and then what the finished product looks like. It's a great testimony to what a talented photographer can do.

I was so proud of Chloe this whole day. All those years of shooting have paid off...she's very comfortable and happy in front of the camera and loves the process. She was also a major trooper in the extremely cold and windy beach weather. We had a special day together and now we have gorgeous photos too.

It also was a great reminder for me of all the sacrifices our agency parents make to get their kids to auditions and bookings...in time, energy, money and love. A big thank you to them for being the amazing people, and parents, they are.

Very glamorous hair prep

Archie and Chloe

Victoria shooting

A little touch up 

On the (cold!!) beach

Behind the scenes

The finished product...

A Teddy Mischief Update.

Teddy's online adoption ad describing his personality as highly energetic and "Dennis the Menace-like" has turned out to be frighteningly accurate...

Sneak on top of the kitchen table and steal my peanut butter and jelly english muffin in the thirty seconds while I jump up to put the American Girl doll away that he had in his mouth? Check.

Pull every piece of bark that he can reach off the palm trees? Chew up uncountable pieces of tree branches and bark and spread the leavings all over our house? Check.

Have a definite reputation at Camp Bow Wow for having the most "energy" of all the campers earning quite a few squirts from the "knock it off" water bottle daily? Check.

Think that nibbling on ear lobes and toes and fingers, with very sharp puppy teeth, is one of the best things in the world? Check.

Effortlessly jump up on 4' high counters and make you think that perhaps he's part kangaroo? Yep.

Slide his big head under every piece of furniture, sofa, chair, and bed, to shred the staples, webbing, and fabric underneath? Yes, that too.

Go, go, go most of the day with barely a break for a nap? Wake me up at 6 am with those ear nibbles and big scratchy stretches of his huge calloused feet in my face? Bring you his ball or his rope or his bone over and over again to throw? Cost us a fortune in doggy day care to keep him from destroying our house? Uh huh.

When he finally calms down, snuggle up with his head on your lap or on your shoulder sweet as anything? Have everyone at Camp Bow Wow telling us over and over again how much they look forward to him coming in the door because he's so much fun? Make fast friends with every dog in the neighborhood, large or small? Look at you with that adorable wrinkly face and those big brown eyes and melt your heart? Once in awhile surprise you with a lovely soft kiss? Rearrange himself in bed in a right-up-against-you ball so he can be closer to his humans? Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.

Have our hearts wrapped up all around him while simultaneously driving us crazy? Absolutely.

Love you Teddy Mischief. Teddy Moose. Teddy Beaver. Love you bunches.

I can drive Mom...

Best Friend Bishop and Teddy

King of the Dog Park

Finally Worn Out

Just Write Already

Tonight I've been thinking about creativity and how incredibly intimidating it can be. Ron and I talked today about how, as you get older, that naïveté that made it easy to jump is replaced by a hyper awareness of just how many times everything has been done before. I've been a bit stalled lately with this blog, and I think this is the reason. So much out there. So many blogs, so many people writing their lives, so many of them so much better at it than I am.

Usually if you ask the question, eventually the answer shows up. Sometimes quickly.

Thanks to Facebook and Marisa Murgatroyd, I found out about creative commons searches on Flickr today, and how to find great free photos to use here. I've been purchasing stock photos when I haven't had an appropriate personal image to use, and not being a huge fan of stock (understatement, that one) it's not been the best solution. This seems much better, and in my search tonight for something to illustrate this post with, I came across scores of amazing photos of journals. So many beautiful ones, each a little different. Not better or worse, just different.

And there, I believe, it is. We're each just one little voice. But together, we're so much more.

Here's to my small, quiet voice. And to theirs. And to yours. 

CC Two Pink Possums

CC Lena Young Andrews

CC Sandra Straight

CC Kolby

CC Paperama

CC knittinandnoodlin