Tag Archives: family

Meet San Antonio Photographer Sara Blanco!

Photo of SCCH Model Home by Sara Blanco

Photo of SCCH Model Home by Sara Blanco

One of the things we love most about the work we do is the relationships we build with both our clients and our associates. We do our best to support them as much as they support us in building exceptional luxury homes. We recently worked with San Antonio photographer, Sara Blanco, who took some pictures of our model home (see above).

We thought you might want to meet her yourself. Although her work is versatile, the focus of her photography is typically on families, in particular, maternity and newborn babies.

Sara:  My specialty is lifestyle photography. I enjoy the relationship aspect – the dynamics of a family. Basically, I spend time with families in their homes. I try to capture what you do on a daily basis. Do you sit together on the couch and drink coffee or make breakfast together? What do you love about being home with the family? That’s my favorite type of session – capturing that environment!

Photo by Sara Blanco

Photo by Sara Blanco

Sara laughed as she explained she doesn’t just stand there and stare while you’re going about your business. She takes time to talk to the families, plays with the kids and gets to know you, while at the same time, you’re getting to know her. The more comfortable everyone is, the better the photos, and this effort definitely shines through! In fact, we first met Sara through Stone Creek Custom Homes’ own Jason Gale, who hired her to photograph his family, but they had known each other long before that.

Sara:  I grew up with Jason’s little brother, so I’ve known them forever. Jason’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Jason is very straight-forward and his wife is so sweet! They’re both just very down-to-earth people.

Besides the model home, Sara has seen a few of the houses we have built, including a couple in Timberwood.

Sara: They’re just awesome, beautiful houses! If we could afford to have Stone Creek custom design a house for us, we would!

With Sara’s talent, we’re betting we’ll get to make that a reality for her some day! You can find all of her information on her website.

If you’d like to see our model home in person, we’re open from 10-6, Monday through Saturday and on Sunday from 12-6 at 1225 Vintage Way in New Braunfels. You can also call us at 210-494-5400 to set up an appointment. If you would like to be added to our private email list for our newsletter, click here.

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Although many Americans think feng shui is a bunch of hoo-ha, in fact, it’s an ancient Chinese discipline older than our own country. Feng shui was first developed as a way for people to identify the best plots for a living space or burial site. This evolved into the development of palaces and government buildings.

The original practice involved a detailed observation of the natural as well as man-made environment, including how the planet’s energy effected the space.  We now know that all things emit vibrational energy. Everything is made of atoms surrounded by spinning protons and electrons, but how does this affect us and our homes?

We spoke with a local feng shui consultant, Alison Shockner of Feng Shui Works, to find out. Besides consulting on home and office spaces, Alison also teaches feng shui classes periodically and advises architects on the proper feng shui design of a house before construction has even begun.

According to Alison, energy flows through a house the same way water would. If there’s a lot of clutter or other impediments, like a narrow hallway, it can negatively affect not only how you feel in your home but various aspects of your life. Each area of the house corresponds to an element of your life, including wealth, fame, love, family, health, children/creativity, knowledge, career and helpful people. The Ba’ Gua diagram that you see above here shows you the position of these nine aspects.

“If your kid’s bedroom is in the wealth corner they’re going to be running the show,” Alison explained. She tells of one client who, the day after she had him move around the furniture in his office so he was sitting in the power and control position, started seeing the money flowing. “It doesn’t always happen that fast,” she said. “It’s about enhancing the space so it’s more balanced.”

Here are a few other interesting tidbits Alison had to share with us:

1.  Use items of a corresponding color to enhance the energy in the various sections. For example, put a pink vase filled with flowers in the back right corner of your home to enhance relationships and improve self-esteem. It’s important to connect to the intention of the object because it also works on a subconscious level – every time you see the object it will reaffirm your intention.

2.  Because chi, or energy, moves faster through a doorway, make sure to position your bed so it’s not in direct alignment with a doorway. Even setting it at an angle can help.

3.  In your office space, make sure your back is against the wall so that you can easily see the door. If your back is facing the door, Alison suggests putting a small mirror on your monitor, so someone can’t sneak up on you. It’s about feeling safe and comfortable in your space.

4.  If you want to increase your bank account put a piggy bank in your wealth corner, and don’t forget to set the intention. Feng shui or not, give us a call at 210-494-5400 when you’re ready to build a balanced and beautiful custom home! To be added to our private email list and receive our monthly newsletter, please sign up here.

Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

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If you’re struggling to come up with some yummy ideas for Thanksgiving Dinner – here are some delicious recipes that will impress any relative!

 

Adobe-Rubbed Stuffed Turkey (Courtesy of Molli Sauces)

Ingredients

  • 1 jar Mölli Oaxaca Marinade (You can find this at Central Market)
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 12 lb. turkey
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 1 orange, quartered

Directions

  1. In a bowl, mix Oaxaca marinade, honey and salt until fully integrated. Set Oaxaca rub aside.
  2. Heat oven to 500° and place rack in bottom third of oven. Pat turkey dry with clean paper towels. Rub outside of turkey with Oaxaca rub and stuff with onions and oranges; transfer turkey breast side up to a rack set in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes; lower heat to 325° and cook for 30 minutes more. Remove turkey from oven and, flip turkey breast side down. Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh but not touching the bone registers 165°, about 3 hours total for a 12-lb. turkey. Lower oven to 150°. Transfer turkey, breast side up, to a baking sheet; return to oven to keep warm. Remove turkey from oven 15 minutes before serving. Save roasting pan for Port gravy recipe.
  3. Serve this delicious turkey with our Port Gravy recipe on the side. You will love it!!

bread pudding

 

Savory Apple-Italian Sausage Bread Pudding Recipe (Courtesy of San Antonio Blogger, Wendy Weekend Gourmet )

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tbs. olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1 tsp. chopped Italian parsley
  • 3 tbs. butter
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 Honeycrisp apple — peel, core, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 8 ounces cooked, crumbled Italian sausage
  • 1 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar [NOTE: I used Cabot Alpine Sharp Cheddar]
  • 1 3/4 cups half and half
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tbs. chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Add the cubed sourdough to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the garlic and chopped parsley. Toss well, until the bread cubes are evenly coated with the oil and seasoning. Arrange on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cubes are browned. Step 2: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onion begins to soften and get some color — about 4 minutes. Add the apple and cook until the apples begins to soften. While the veggies and apple mixture is cooking, make the custard: add the half and half and eggs to a large measuring cup and whisk until combined. Set aside. Step 3: Add the toasted sourdough cubes to a large mixing bowl. Add the crumbled Italian sausage, sharp cheddar, and apple-veggie mixture. Add the custard and stir to combine evenly. Push the bread cubes into the custard. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring 2-3 times to ensure all the bread sits in the custard. Step 4: Butter a deep 2-quart casserole dish. Ladle the bread pudding mixture into the casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook the bread pudding an additional 30 minutes, until browned. Let cool 30 minutes before serving.

 

Classic Buttermilk Pie (Courtesy of Southern Living)

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon loosely packed lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pastry Crust of your choice

Garnishes: fresh berries, whipped cream, fresh mint

 

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together first 2 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients into flour mixture; pour into Perfect Pastry Crust. 2. Bake at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes or until almost set, shielding edges with aluminum foil after 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool 1 hour.