2014 July Newsletter

Experience the

difference!

July 2014

Current Highlights

“Happy Birthday America”

Chattanooga’s Best of the Best

Thank you to all our clients who tell their friends about us. “Word of Mouth” is our most powerful form of advertising. We feel privileged to tell you that last year we were chosen in the “Best Photography” category in the “Best of the Best” People’s Choice Award thanks to all our clients who voted for us.

Results for this year are coming soon; we have our fingers crossed. It has been a pleasure to work with such wonderful and supportive clients. Thank you for being a part of our success.

In Recent Events

We are proud to be a sponsor of Dancing with the Chattanooga Stars, benefiting the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults. It has been a privilege working with The Partnership, the participating local celebrities, and Fred Astaire’s dancers. We had a blast photographing them and coming up with something a little different for each.

Summer Senior Sessions

Our senior summer sessions are in full swing. A favorite session so far this year was on the lake. It was great to be outside capturing our senior doing what he loves; wake boarding and paddle boarding. Prime time senior sessions are limited. Call us today to book your senior’s session. You will be glad.

Follow us

We want to get social with you. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

What does July the 4th mean to you? I was thinking about this as I was deciding what to write for this issue of the newsletter. Those of you that know me well know that I am not normally a particularly emotional guy. However I do find myself almost overwhelmed many times when singing patriotic songs, saluting the flag or when thinking about those that have given their lives in service to their country.

Why?

It is because of what it means to me to be an American. No it is not about apple pie or beating our chests and saying we are the greatest. It’s about understanding what our founding fathers wanted to create when they originally declared our independence from Great Britain. It wasn’t really about taxes, but rather a different philosophy that we and only we should determine our fate. I feel great pride not in something existential but in the concrete fact that we as a people have determined our current destiny. Not some king or queen but “We The People”.

We still have the ability to determine our direction as individuals and as a country. We have made missteps along the way, some have been serious, but the fact that we have kept moving in the direction of our collective dreams has made us unstoppable. What the founding fathers did was to have an idea, then they had the courage to act on that idea without any guarantee of success. Today more than ever we need leaders with clear ideas of what our collective possibilities are and then the courage to pursue them. These leaders need to be willing to compromise when necessary and have the wisdom to understand what really matters; the freedom for each of us to choose our own destiny.

Happy Birthday America – Still the land of the free.

Thanks to all of you,

Explosions in the Sky

By Sydney Cansler

There was a soft scream Then color exploded And our ears were left ringing The bright colors rained down on us Coming from all sides More and more loud bangs Making our ears rattle Brush strokes of the rainbow Dance across the sky The sky rains gold And a blast of purple sneaks from behind People look upon the art between the dirt and stars And smile Curved lips grace the midnight sky As the pops and bangs increase in volume Then suddenly It’s silent The only trace, the smoke in the sky Rounds of applause light up the air And cheers fall from beaming lips And the crowd leaves The magnificent fireworks silent Till called again by the flame

Being the face and voice of Southern Hearth & Patio for the past 15 years and being active in our community, rarely a day goes by that I’m not asked for a favorite grilling tip or recipe. Most often it’s subject of a particular food like steaks, burgers and fish. But every once in a while I’m asked an open ended question for a tip or advice.

I usually take that opportunity to give my greatest of all BBQ advice, and when my friend Brad asked me to write for his newsletter, it gave me the opportunity to tell you all what I’ve learned over the years to make the most of your time at the grill.

The best ingredient for any grilled food is conversation. Leave the electronics inside. That’s right, no phones, iPads, no Gameboys, no laptops.

Nothing. You may not realize it but your outdoor grilling area is filled it’s own sounds and aromas and the only thing missing is conversation. Take your kids, spouse or friends with you and enjoy their company for those few precious moments. I have no memories of any e-mail or song from any particular grilling but I sure remember those times with my family and friends. That’s it. That’s the tip. It’s really that simple. Conversation is the best ingredient and it goes with EVERYTHING! You can’t over do it and if the food is undercooked of burned to a crisp, it’s still a great evening.

Trust me, it’ll the best dinner you’ve had in a long time.

Southern Hearth & Patio (423) 899-3853 southernhearth.com

BRIDAL PORTRAITS

We are excited to be introducing Bridal Portraits, something new to our studio. As many of you know we are not in the business of wedding and event photography. We have on the other hand done bridal portraits occasionally in the past when clients have asked us to, but only recently have decided to incorporate it into our new line of portraiture. We are currently working on a collection of bridal portraits to showcase this new portrait line.

If you are a recent bride or bride to be and want beautiful portraits in your wedding gown, we would like to invite you to participate and receive our exclusive bridal session. To learn more call our studio today.

IMAGES THAT HONOR

Honoring Those Who Fought for Our Country

While considering what to feature in our July article, the idea of celebrating our combat veterans came to mind. We wanted to share something worthwhile about what it means to celebrate the fourth of July.

With a basic idea in mind Brad asked for help on Facebook with the hope that someone could put us in touch with a veteran who could fit us into their schedule. Immediately one of Brad’s friends told him about Owen, a red headed 9 year old boy whose Grandfather had just recently passed away. Owen’s story was of a young boy who was so proud when presented with his grandfather’s flag. We reached out to his parents who liked the idea and wanted to be a part of our project.

After our session at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, Owen’s dad, Richard shared this with us. “I seriously could not look at the portrait for several hours without tears coming to my eyes. We are so proud of Owen and I know his granddad would be honored by your work.

Owen’s middle name is Nathan, which was Steen’s first name. Steen was my stepdad for 43 years and the only Grandfather Owen ever knew. Steen and Owen formed a mutual admiration society from the beginning. When Owen was small he would put on his tool belt and help Steen “work”. Steen never talked much about his two tours in Vietnam.

Owen was always fascinated by the fact that Papa Steen was a Marine and this seemed to make Steen very proud. His loss has been very hard for Owen, even though he has been very brave, the only time he really came unglued was when he was given Steen’s flag.

I am sure the serious and reflective looks you captured last night were a window into his true feelings. Thanks again for this very special gift to my family.”

Originally this idea may have been just for the newsletter but it has developed into a much grander project. One that will honor veterans from all eras, with a possible long term display at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. If you know someone who is a veteran that would be interested in being a part of this project, contact us.

WATERMELON SALSA Mouthwatering & Refreshing Helen’s Watermelon Salsa recipe is absolutely delicious. It the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and is sure to make a refreshing side dish for all those summer barbecues. We love the combination of the pineapple, mango and watermelon mixed with fresh herbs of mint, basil and cilantro. It blends so well together. We hope you get the chance to make a batch.

Let us know what you think.

Ingredients 4 cups seeded and cubed watermelon 1 c fresh pineapple diced 1 mango, peeled and diced 1 c jicama peeled and diced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (start with 1/2 and add to taste) 1/2 c red onion, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. cilantro chopped 1/2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves chopped 1/2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves chopped 1 – 2 fresh squeezed limes (to taste) 1 Tbsp. agave syrup 1 teaspoon salt (to taste) Tortilla or pita chips, for serving Directions Stir together the lime juice and agave in a bowl. Add the watermelon, pineapple, mango, jicama, jalapeno, onion and herbs; toss gently. Chill the salsa until ready to serve. Add the salt just before serving.

Serve with chips.

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 1308 Chattanooga, TN 850 Vine Street Chattanooga, TN 37403 (423) 756-2681

canslerblog.com canslerphotography.com facebook.com/canslerportraitdesign canslersenior.com facebook.com/cansler.senior

“My heart beats red, white, and blue.” ~ unknown