"Sonata" - Tracey Capone Photography

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”  - Alice Walker

"Sun n Sand" - Tracey Capone Photography 2012

It’s coming down to the wire… this time, two weeks from now, I’ll be driving from Manchester, England to Edinburgh, Scotland on the first of many legs of the UK Road Trip between Manchester and Shannon, Ireland. That said, with a couple of wholesale orders to complete, money to exchange, an International Driver’s License to obtain, and turning a packing list in to a reality, the next week and a half is going to be pretty crazy. I’m thinking time out with the camera is going to be few and far between but I’m hoping to step away for a bit over the next few so I can continue to enjoy the beautiful Chicago weather and the ever changing scenery.

In honor of the upcoming road trip, I decided to make my Photo of the Day one from my last trip, driving from Santa Monica, CA to Tulsa, OK on Route 66. The Sun n Sand motel was one of the many wonderful, retro motels we came across along the way. I loved the orange and yellow of this sign, especially against the grey sky from that day. It was, quite literally, a bright spot in the final leg of our tour.

That road trip was full of so many fun memories, I can’t wait to create more in a couple of weeks! (and given we will be driving on the other side of the road and car, something tells me there will be LOTS of laughs to remember… and that will only be in the parking lot of the car rental facility) I will, of course, be sharing along the way!  Do you have a favorite memory from a road trip you’ve taken? 

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Quite the life Jack has. Quite the life

"The Lady" - Tracey Capone Photography

The big guns were firing away on the Red Carpet last night but I have to say as much as I adore my SLR, with all it’s fancy bells and whistles, I just love the simplicity of the vintage cameras from years ago. They were so simple in their offerings yet so much fun.

Last week, I introduced you to “The Lineup” and “The Nomad.” Today, it is my pleasure to introduce you to “The Lady.” Sure her body is full of plastic but it does right by her… I love the pop of teal against the silver and black of the rest of the body. While I haven’t yet had a chance to load her up with film and test her out, just seeing her sitting on my shelf has made me smile.

The Diana camera, originally intended as a novelty camera in the 1960s, had her fair share of issues: light leaks, limited aperture settings, and in some cases, issues with advancing the film but some of the issues add up to wonderfully artistic photographs with their blur and grain.

What has this Diana camera seen in her lifetime? How many photos has she taken? Where has she traveled to? I love the unknown history behind some of these finds.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Today’s “Photo” of the Day isn’t really a photo but it’s something that excites me all the same.  I am very happy, excited, geeked up, elated, [insert word for joy here] to be one of 13 Etsians who will be participating in an Etsy event at the West Elm location in Lincoln Park on February 25th.

Curated by Alaina Kaczmarski of Live Creating Yourself and The Everygirl, the West Elm + Etsy event will celebrate all that is handmade in art, crafts and other handmade items from local Chicago designers.

To say I am honored to be chosen is a mild understatement. There are a LOOOOOT of fantastic Chicago Etsians to choose from so to be one of the thirteen is an amazing feeling.I can’t wait to share my handcrafted wood blocks…

and jewelry…

and prints galore…

Are you in or nearby Chicago? Want to attend the February 25th event? Click here to go to West Elm’s Facebook page or here for their blog for more info. If you can stop by, be sure to swing by my spot in the store and say hello!

*tracey*

"The Venetian Garden" - Tracey Capone Photography

I’m so happy to be a photographer for many reasons, one of which is that, if I can’t remember certain aspects of a trip, I can always go back and revisit it through my photos. Good thing too because halfway through the last trip to Italy I came down with one of the worst flu bugs I have had in quite some time and was basically walking around in a haze. (possibly in part to the wonderful over the counter medications that they sell in Italy… perhaps a bonus to not having an FDA?)

Given the fever was wreaking havoc on my head, it’s been wonderful to be able to go back through pictures from the visits to Rome, Florence and Venice and relive some of what I missed at the time. (thankfully, fevers don’t prevent the shutter finger from working)

Today’s Photo of the Day, “The Venetian Garden” is one of those photographs that really sums up the experience in Venice and helps me remember just how beautiful it was. Of course, Venice is surrounded completely by water and has canals running through it so backyard gardens that you may see in other parts of Italy aren’t really happening here. Many of the residents work with what they have, namely in using beautiful window boxes and terrace gardens to make up for what they lack in yard. I loved this arrangement against the beautiful stucco of the home and the rustic shutters.

I will definitely go back to Venice one day soon just so that I can (hopefully) walk around in a less partially comatose state but, in the meantime, I have my photographs.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

Roasted Tomato and Asiago Cheese Focaccia Bread

Not long before my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and well in to his chemo, he became a bread baking fiend; so much so that we used to joke that he should open up a bakery in my parents’ apartment. He was so meticulous, so precise, that he would try a recipe over and over and over some more until he felt that it was perfect.

One of his favorite things to bake was focaccia. He would top the rustic bread with everything from roasted peppers to caramelized onions to plain old pepperoni.  No matter what the topping, by the time he perfected the recipe, you couldn’t get enough of it. (OK, I admit, I avoided the anchovy topped focaccia like The Plague!)

My father has been gone for several years now but we’re left with a fabulous three-ring binder full of  recipes that he took great care in typing up, laminating and preserving. Today, I decided to bake up some focaccia as a tip of the hat to my dad. This is actually my own recipe, but it’s inspired by the many great culinary moments in Papa Caponie’s Bakery. I hope you enjoy it!

Roasted Tomatoes:

What You’ll Need:

• 3 or 4 medium sized, very fresh, ripe tomatoes. (I use organic vine-on tomatoes as I find them to be the freshest)
• Good olive oil (I highly recommend a ship here in Chicago, Ta-Ze, they have free shipping anywhere over a certain $ amount… check them out!)
• Approx. 1/4 c. of finely minced fresh herbs (I use a mix of basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano from my herb garden) You will want to set about a tsp of each aside for the focaccia dough!
• Garlic (garlic, garlic and more garlic, I use about 4 cloves, finely minced)
• Kosher salt and Fresh cracked pepper (add to your liking)
• Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. Cut the tomatoes in halves and take out the harder middle using a paring knife. Lay all halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment or aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil until all the tomatoes are coated.
2. Mix minced herbs, salt, pepper and garlic together and sprinkle over tomato halves and add a bit of additional olive oil on top to coat the herb/garlic mix. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (don’t go too heavy… balsamic vinegar, while fabulous, is strong, you don’t need a lot)
3. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes flatten and crisp a bit on the edges. Don’t overcook! You’ll lose too much of the wonderful flavor and, trust me when I tell you this, you don’t want to do that. Once cooked, let sit to cool. As they cool, the tomatoes will continue to flatten until they resemble sun-dried tomatoes. They look ugly but they taste fantastic!

Focaccia Bread

What You’ll Need:

• 1 package of dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp if you’re using the yeast in a jar)
• 1 c. warm water (not hot, just warm… about 110 degrees or so)
• 1 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp each fresh herbs (see above)
• 2 to 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• Roasted Tomatoes (ultimately, you’ll use enough to cover the focaccia. If you have some left over, they’re great in pasta dishes or when used to make homemade spaghetti sauce!)
• 1/4 c asiago cheese
• 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
• Optional- If you love cheese like me, you can also use a four cheese blend. Trader Joes has a fantastic Quatro Formaggio blend of Parmesan, Provolone, Asiago and Fontina)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water and add 1 Tbs of the oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, herbs, and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Beat together until smooth. (I actually use the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid and it works perfectly) Stir in remaining flour just until it forms a soft, sticky dough. (if you’re using a mixer, it should create what looks like a cyclone and stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl)
2. Turn out on to a floured surface and knead the dough for about 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Don’t overknead! You won’t get the airy bread that you’re ultimately looking for.
3. Form dough in to a ball and put it in a greased bowl. (I use olive oil) Flip it once so that the entire ball is coated. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour.
4. Punch down dough then cover and let rest again for about ten minutes. Shape in to a rectangle in a well oiled 9×13 baking pan, cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Once doubled, gently tap with your fingertips to create dimples all over the top of the rectangle.
5. Brush dough with the remaining olive oil and arrange tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the sough and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove immediately from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack (a tip- cooling on a wire rack rather than a solid surface prevents the bottom from getting wet from condensation)
6. Cut in to squares and enjoy!! This can also be sliced in half for fantastic sandwiches!

Don’t hesitate to drop me a line if you have any questions!

*tracey*

Jennifer is all about vectors as her blog will detail. It provides a host of excellent tutorials, and all are marked very clearly with their difficulty level. You’ll find everything from creating basic vector illustrations to preparing them for sale to iStock.

The tutorial I chose to do today was one of her beginner tutorials, “Drawing a Face Using Simple Shapes.” It took me a little while to get the hang of it and, admittedly, I had trouble with the hair, but, after several deletions and recreations, I got it to where I like it. I even pulled mine in to Photoshop to try adding a few brushes. Why not right?

If you’re just starting out using Illustrator, this is a fantastic tutorial to test your skills while learning some of the basics of Illustrator. Don’t be afraid to experiment! What do you have to lose? Jennifer’s excellent tutorial can be found here. Check it, and others, out on her wonderful blog and definitely check out her fun portfolio!

Enjoy!!
*tracey*

Taken in Venice, along the Grand Canal, the blue door was what caught my eye first. If I owned a really cool, old home, there are a list of must-haves, one of which is an amazing door in a vibrant color. Most of Venice’s homes along the canal not only have amazing colors but also this beautiful patina from being along the water. Color abounds in Venice, not only along the Grand Canal but along the back canals as well. Given my love of color, I can only imagine seeing such beauty on a daily basis.

Let’s try something new… how about a poll?

“Patina” as well as the “Day in Venice” print set can be found here in my online gallery.

Enjoy!

*tracey*

"Patina"