Gina Hickman Photography

Crock Pot Creations

Gina — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:38:43 +0000

I have re-discovered my crock pot!

Well thanks to Pinterest, that is! I have been pinning away all these delicious-looking recipes and finally started trying some of them.

You can find so many mouth-watering recipes and links to food blogs that show pictures and step-by-step directions on how to make each recipe.

I even created a Pinterest board that is specifically dedicated to “Crock Pot Creations”! Click here to see all the deliciousness I’ve been collecting, but I have to warn you… you may get addicted to Pinterest yourself!!!

Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Baked Potato Soup

Pulled Pork

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Here are a couple that I MUST try soon!!!!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Crock Pot Ribs

Brisket Tacos

I really want to get a new crock pot, not that mine is broken or anything…. but it’s ancient!

Really!! It is over 20 years old, I mean it’s the kind that doesn’t even have a removable pot… you have to put the whole thing in the sink to wash it (cord and all), LOL!!!

This is the one I have my eye on:

Does anyone have any crock pot recipes that you want to share? Please leave me a comment or a link to your blog (or Pinterest)

Cheers!

Gina

Gift Certificates {Galveston Photography}

Gina — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:31:23 +0000

Do you like getting Gift Cards or Gift Certificates?

I know I do!!!!

Everyone (or every woman) that I know does too!

I’m happy to share with you these adorable Gift Certificates that I now offer:

You can purchase these Gift Certificates in any amount and they can be used any time during the ENTIRE year after you purchase!!!

They can be used for Session Fees or for Prints and Products.

Give me a call and get yours today! Would make an awesome Valentine’s Day gift, Hint Hint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!

Gina Hickman

409-256-9116

2011 in review

Gina — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:13:02 +0000

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,900 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Engagement Photo Session {Galveston Photographer}

Gina — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:27:49 +0000

I loved working with Miss “R” and Mr. “E”!

She had so many great ideas and had found some places that I hadn’t even used yet in Galveston!!

He was such a good sport and I really think that they both had fun, and it was definitely easy to see that they were very much in love!!!

Here are some of my favorites, it was really hard to narrow down because they were all fabulous

Thanks for being such a wonderful couple to photograph!!!

I’m linking up with Ms. Jenny’s Alphabet Thursday for the letter “E” – for “Engagement” of course!

Cheers!

Gina Hickman

Creamy Bacon Dip

Gina — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:05:14 +0000

I wanted to share this recipe because it is A-MAY-ZING, super easy and you will just love it (and it will disappear like lightning!)

Here was the inspiration for my dip:

http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/11/mississippi-sin.html

I actually saw the recipe on Pinterest and it has been on my “Foooooooood” board for awhile. What is Pinterest, you say? Read here for my blog post about that

As you will notice, that recipe calls for ham… Well I know around here we LOVE some bacon, so I substituted bacon and bumped up the spice a little bit and made mine like this:

CREAMY BACON DIP

16oz sour cream (I used Daisy light)

8oz cream cheese, softened to room temp

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pack of bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

3-4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt

pepper

French bread loaf
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except French bread; stirring until well blended.

Using a gentle sawing motion, cut vertically to, but not through, bottom of the loaf, 1/2 inch from the edge, to cut out center of bread. Lift out center of loaf. Fill hollowed bread loaf with the dip. Wrap loaf with foil.

Bake dip at 400° degrees for 45-min to 1 hour. Open top of foil and broil for a few minutes until top is golden & bubbly. Serve with Crispy bread, crackers, fritos, or potato chips.

I combined all of the ingredients last night and baked it this morning so I could bring it to work this morning for our Thanksgiving luncheon. I didn’t take a picture before everyone started trying it…. Hey, it has bacon in it so it’s for breakfast right???

Well this is what was left by 9:30 a.m…….

an empty French Loaf!

You simply must try this dip at your next event, you (and the people who eat it) will be so glad you did

Linking up with Ms. Jenny’s Alphabet Thursday for the letter “C”! Click the link to check out all the other participating bloggers and their “C” Posts

Cheers!

Gina

Urban Bridal in Galveston {Galveston Bridal Photography}

Gina — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:08:42 +0000

Miss “A” was a blast to work with and I was so excited to do this “Urban Bridal” session with her! We started out at this fabulous little candy store in Galveston on The Strand, and then walked around a few block radius until we captured Ava in a variety of different locations.

The candy store was such a fun place to take pictures, I will definitely go there again!

I’m sure her husband-to-be will just be stunned when he sees his gorgeous bride walking down the aisle…

Don’t you just love those pink shoes??!!! I sure do… it is my favorite color!

What do you think about the vintage-looking image, I can just picture this being found in one of the old historic homes on Galveston Island!

Congratulations to you and your husband-to be! I loved working with you and look forward to photographing your family and any future new additions

Cheers!

Gina

Meet Lacey! 2012 High School Senior {Galveston Senior Photography}

Gina — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:30:29 +0000

I knew Lacey would be a fun senior to work with from the moment she contacted me!

She has such a sweet, bubbly personality and I’m positive she is going to love these images (and so will her Mom, Christa!!!)

Three words that describe Lacey are:

Smart, Funny & Compassionate

Her favorite place to shop is Cavendar’s and her favorite restaurant is Razoo’s…

Lacey – you’ll have to tell me where that is, I haven’t heard of it!!!

Have you ever seen such bright beautiful blue eyes?

Lacey – it was awesome working with you and I’m looking forward to our Spring session!!

Cheers!

Gina

Maternity Session at Helen’s Garden {League City Photographer}

Gina — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:03:02 +0000

This session was so much fun, even though we were attacked by mosquitoes! Candace’s super husband Nathan saved the day by going to the store for cans of OFF!!! We were so thankful he did because we were able to finish the shoot, and capture some great images that don’t even show that we had to dance around to avoid the Texas-size mosquitoes and we couldn’t even stay in one spot for over a couple minutes!!! Candace & Nathan were great sports and I can’t wait to meet their new bundle of joy in December

Your comments are always welcome – I love to hear your opinions!

Cheers!

Gina

Sunset Beach Session {Galveston Family Photography}

Gina — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:25:49 +0000

The Norman family session was quite interesting!

Sometimes everything doesn’t go exactly as planned or the way you had envisioned, and sometimes everyone doesn’t cooperate – but you know what? It doesn’t matter!

Memories are still being made! The kids will never be this small again. You can never again capture this same moment in time.

We still managed to get quite a few memorable images – thanks Margaret for letting me do your family portraits on the beach this Summer!

The large image at the top is one of my favorites – it just looks like it should be printed on a large canvas and would look like it was hand painted! Also, the image with Father & Son (2nd one right column) – doesn’t that look like the cutest “teachable moment”? Certainly worth remembering!!

Not every family session will work out with everyone smiling and looking perfectly at the camera, but every family session matters because it is part of life, it is part of raising children! Don’t forget to capture memories with your family on a regular basis!

Cheers!

Gina

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Gina — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:22:42 +0000

On Saturday morning, bright & early (bleh), I will be running in the 11th Annual D’Feet Breast Cancer 5K at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. This will be my fifth 5K this year (YAY me!) – and 2011 is my very first year to do them

I never thought of myself as a runner… in fact, I consider myself pretty un-athletic and un-coordinated, LOL! (I still don’t want to actually “see” myself running (hahaha).

BUT…

When I ran the very first one in February (and boy did I pick a great one to be my first) – the Houston Rodeo Conoco Phillips 5K – it was so much fun! I was like, “Hey, I can do this!!!”

Top photo: Erin, Jessica, Me, Rizz; Bottom photo: Erin & I at the finish line!

Exhilarating! Exciting! Such a sense of Accomplishment! I just couldn’t wait for the next one and couldn’t fathom why I’d waited so long to try this!!!

I’m definitely excited for the run on Saturday, my plan is to wear my new “Boobs Rock” t-shirt I got from 94.5 The Buzz and also probably a pink cowgirl hat and maybe, just maybe, I will wear a pink tutu….

If I do then I will certainly share a photo because I know y’all are dying to see me in a pink tutu! Right?!? No? Ok – we’ll see….

I was also participating in “31 Days of Pink” on Instagram – that is, I WAS PARTICIPATING, until the iPhone in the water incident

Here are the few pink photos I was able to share before the mishap:

What fun ideas or ways are you participating in Breast Cancer Awareness month? Please share

Cheers!

Gina