Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

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  • DIY Project: Mirror Refinish

    DIY Project: Mirror Refinish

    Did I ever tell you how much I love DIY projects around the house? When Chris and I bought our very first home back in 2005, I think we felt invincible, like we could do any and all of the fix-it projects around the house. Home Depot says, “You can do it, we can help,” and we believed them! We frequently tackled the projects that most people face with a new home – painting, installing appliances, replacing light fixtures, hanging shelving, etc. We’ve since become pretty busy with our jobs and haven’t had as much time to do DIY home projects, but we still do some smaller ones here and there. Over the summer I finally refinished this standing mirror in our master bedroom. I’ve had it since I was in high school! Back then, this sort of forest green went well with my room, but it certainly didn’t work with our bedroom today.

    So I decided on a paint color that would tie in with our drapes and bedding. I may one day change out our duvet color, but I always want this sort of soothing gray-blue-greenish color in the room, so I landed on a Sherwin-Williams color called “Quietude.” Isn’t that a perfect name for a bedroom paint color?

    I took the mirror apart in the garage, and got to work. I went right ahead and applied a layer of Zissner primer without sanding because I’m lazy impatient efficient like that! I used a small foam roller for the primer and the paint (one roller for each), and used a small foam brush to work into the corners. I let each coat dry for several hours in between.

    Two coats of Quietude later, here is the before and after! I love the new color, and it works perfectly in our bedroom. The color is nice and soft, and not even a tiny sliver of that dark green is showing through the light blue-green thanks to Zissner!

    I really wasn’t sure what kind of finish to expect since I didn’t sand first, but it turned out very smooth and I’m really happy with it. I suppose if there were lumps and bumps in the original green paint I would have sanded, but luckily it was a job well done by my mom who originally painted it for me in high school.

    And here’s a wider snapshot of our room. It’s still a work in progress – we need to get some shelves up on the walls, and I eventually want to do something else with that dresser the TV sits on. But isn’t it so fun to peek inside people’s houses?!

  • Frenchies!

    I have a few really random things to post – photos that I took in the past year and just never blogged because of various excuses. So I’m going to play catch up over the winter months!

    A few years ago, I photographed my friend Coelle’s new French Bulldog, Zoey. I even puppy-sat for her! She also showed up for Coelle and Corey’s engagement photos. And then in 2010 I photographed Zoey’s new little sister, Macey, though I don’t think I blogged an image of her. Here are the two sisters, Zoey and Macey, respectively:

    And then this summer, Coelle’s parents welcomed a new little Frenchie into their home as well! This is Bria. She’s like, “Whaaaaaa?! Another Frenchie?” Yes! Another one. I am the official photographer of French Bulldogs. If that’s not a very specific niche, I don’t know what is.

    Aren’t they all so cute? I could photograph those sweet adorable little smoosh-faces and big ears all day. So if anyone ever happens to need a photographer with a lot of French Bulldog experience, that’s me!

  • School Supplies

    In preparation for my New Year’s Resolution to learn to cook, I decided I should buy some new school supplies! Up until I went shopping last weekend, we just had a really really old cookware set that I purchased when I moved into my first apartment circa 2001. I spent under $100 for a twelve-piece non-stick set and plus I know non-stick coating doesn’t last forever, so we are well overdue for a new set. I wanted something I can get some mileage out of, so I did my research and decided on this small set of stainless All-Clad cookware. I really like that they are made in the USA, and that people say they’re very sturdy so I should have them for a long time. I’ll add pieces as needed, but I think this set plus the two newer non-stick pans and a Le Creuset dutch oven I already own will meet our needs.

    I have also always wanted a good stand mixer, although I don’t do a ton of baking. (Side note: I’m actually not that bad at baking! Especially compared to my cooking.) I wasn’t planning to buy one until I saw all of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals in my inbox this weekend, so I decided to go for it. KitchenAid stand mixers are also made right here in the US, so I figured it’s good to put a little money back into the economy right?

    So what do you think? Did I make the right choices? I can’t wait to use all of the new school supplies in my cooking adventures! What kitchen tools/gadgets do you have that are constantly valuable to your own culinary adventures?

  • My One Resolution: Learn to Cook

    It’s no secret – I’m a terrible cook. And I don’t mean that in a negative, I’m-being-too-hard-on-myself way, I mean I’m actually terrible at it. It’s not for lack of trying, either. I just lack some basic skills, and I’m also quite awkward in the kitchen. I drop things. I set things on fire. I have grated the knuckle on my thumb more than once while using a grater. I forget steps in recipes, substitute incompatible ingredients, and don’t even get me started on over/under-cooking.

    My idea is to simply focus on one goal for 2013. I’m not going to make a long list of habits I’d like to change or goals I want to accomplish. I just have one goal: learn to cook. And what’s the first rule to goal-setting? Have a specific action plan. So here it is. I’ve collected a list of 52 cooking skill categories based on various cookbooks. I want to keep my lessons flexible, so each week of 2013 I’m going to pick a lesson that will fit with my schedule, the time of year, (e.g., I probably won’t do any grilling in January, and even I know certain ingredients aren’t always in season, etc.), and then I’ll select a recipe that will focus on that week’s skill category. In preparation for the week’s lesson, I’ll read the recipe start-to-finish, research any terms I’m unfamiliar with, and youtube any relevant videos that might help. Then I’ll post here about what I learned, what went well, and what I can do better next time, plus I’ll show you a photo of the results, good or bad! To be honest, when I do manage to cook an edible dish on a rare occasion, I’m quick to plop it on a plate and eat it immediately. Ah, the taste of success! But I’d really like to work on my presentation skills in addition to my cooking skills, so the photos will hopefully show my progress in that area as well.

    As for the recipes, I’m blessed with a host of food allergies and sensitivities (eggs, dairy/whey, and wheat), so while I might still cook with small amounts of those ingredients, my plan is to try and find recipes that fit with my modified diet. To be honest though, I still eat things I’m not supposed to on occasion, so don’t be surprised if I stubbornly attempt to make and eat Eggs Benedict or homemade pasta from scratch.

    Some things to note: 1.) the one thing that isn’t on the list is amazing chocolate chip cookies from scratch, because this is the one thing I can make flawlessly. 2.) I know how to steam vegetables! So I didn’t add that technique. Same with omelets – I even know how to flip onto the plate properly thanks to an Alton Brown demonstration on the Food Network. 3.) If two skill categories happen to get combined in one recipe, I’ll add something else to the list or repeat a more advanced category. 4.) If my attempt at a recipe is a complete and total failure, I’ll repeat it. 5.) If I find a local cooking class that covers any of these topics, I’ll sign up, but for the most part I’m going to try to teach myself, one week at a time. And lastly, 6.) dear readers, I definitely welcome your advice and experience , so please feel free to leave me advice in the Comments section!

    So without further ado, here is my Learn To Cook Lesson List, which I will update as each item is completed!

    Core Cooking Methods:

    • sautéing
    • pan-frying
    • deep-frying
    • grilling
    • roasting
    • braising
    • stewing
    • shallow poaching
    • deep poaching

    Sauces and Soups:

    Grains & Vegetables:

    Breakfast & Lunch:

    Cuisines:

    Pastries & Breads:

    • puff pastry
    • brioche
    • muffins
    • scones
    • yeast bread
    • pizza
    • focaccia

    Desserts:

    • cake & frosting
    • pie
    • brownies/bars
    • tarts
    • custards

    And here’s a picture of our tiny little kitchen where all the disasters magic will happen! Hopefully we’ll be giving the space a mini-makeover soon with new countertops and floors, but this is what it looks like for now. Please ignore the mismatched doorknobs and hinges – we are in the middle of updating them throughout the house from brass to oil-rubbed bronze.

  • Invisalign Anniversary!

    It’s my one-year Invisalign anniversary! Happy anniversary to my now-straighter teeth. I thought I’d post an update here and a review of the treatment so far, in case anyone is thinking about doing Invisalign, too.

    First of all, let’s talk about the reasons why I decided on Invisalign. My teeth weren’t terribly misaligned from an aesthetic standpoint, at least not compared to some of the amazing before-and-after cases on the Invisalign website. One of my front teeth was crowded behind the others a little, and my back teeth were starting to tilt inward a bit. I had a fairly major over-jet though, and that bothered me from a profile perspective. Also, the misalignment was starting to cause some wear on my teeth, so the decision to undergo treatment was not only for my appearance but for the health of my teeth as well. My fantastic dentist referred me to an amazing orthodontist, who recommended Invisalign over traditional braces, though he said both would work for me and it was a matter of my own preference. I decided on Invisalign because I liked that I’d be able to take them out for special occasions, pictures, and situations where I’d be speaking in front of an audience. Invisalign requires fewer visits to the office, so there’s a time/convenience factor. I also liked the idea that the aligners were clear and therefore discrete. More on that in a moment.

    My treatment plan was designed for approximately 18 months, so I have about 5-6 months to go. However, depending on how my teeth track in this set of aligners, there’s always the possibility of an additional refinement period. A refinement period is another set of aligners to make additional adjustments after the initial set(s) of aligners are complete. After a year, I’m pretty used to the routine, but I’m also looking forward to being done. My least favorite thing is not being able to just relax after a nice meal or if I’m eating popcorn while watching a movie. I have to hop up immediately after I finish eating to brush my teeth and put the aligners back in. My second least favorite thing is that my set of aligners did not turn out to be as discrete as others (though I know it can be even worse, so I’m really not complaining). I am required to wear auxiliaries, or small rubber bands that hook from the top-front teeth to the bottom-back teeth to correct my overbite. Plus I do have several of the attachments, which are small tooth-colored buttons that are glued to the teeth to help the aligners fit better and in some cases to create specific movements for each tooth. They aren’t on my very front teeth, but they are on the sides and visible when I smile. Sometimes I am self-conscious of them, although people have said they aren’t noticeable unless I point it out. I don’t wear the elastics in public because those are definitely noticeable, but thankfully my progress doesn’t seem to be affected by not wearing the elastics 24/7. And I think the aligners only make me a tiny bit lispy. When I sing in the car it’s pretty terrible, but just in normal conversation I don’t have too much trouble.

    Other things to note: yes, it’s a little painful sometimes. The aligners, just like traditional metal braces, are designed to put a constant amount of pressure on your teeth, so of course there is some discomfort. It usually lasts the first few days of a new set of aligners and then you have several days where the teeth have already moved and now they are just being held in place. But the discomfort is not unbearable. I had regular braces when I was in elementary school, and I remember the tightening adjustments being more painful than the Invisalign. I got those braces off when I was eleven and I did not wear my retainer, (what eleven year-old has the discipline to wear a retainer?!) so here I am again.

    Would I recommend Invisalign? At this point I’d say absolutely YES! The progress so far is amazing, and I’m really happy with it. It has been super convenient, and I do love the fact that I can take them out when I need to. However, I would NOT recommend Invisalign if you don’t have the discipline to keep them in for the minimum amount of time each day, or if you feel like brushing your teeth 4-5 times a day would be inconvenient or embarrassing in public. I’ve brushed my teeth at the office, in restaurants, at the movie theater, in the car (safely, while stuck in traffic or parked), and even at the Verizon Center during a Capitals game! I constantly have a stockpile of dental supplies, especially in travel form, so that I can brush anywhere.

    I’ll post another update and before/after pictures when I’m all done, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to comment or email me! I’d be happy to chat with you about it, and if you’re local to the Northern Virginia area, I have THE most amazing orthodontist and I can’t recommend him enough!