Nicole Mlakar Blog » Lifestyle

Homegrown Revival Thanksgiving dinner at Springdale Farm

nicolemlakar — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 05:48:34 +0000

Paula Foore, of Springdale Farm, told me that they would be hosting a Homegrown Revival Thanksgiving dinner this year. She thought it might be a really great event to add to my documentary series on Springdale Farm. Paula couldn’t have been more right and I was thrilled to bear witness to this amazing event. Homegrown Revival produces dinners, utilizing “locally sourced produce and proteins,” that bring together the community in a “festive atmosphere.” Chef Sona Coté and Outfitter Tink Pinkard were at the helm of this dinner and it was absolutely amazing to watch all of the collaborative efforts among the Homegrown Revival crew. There was such thoughtfulness surrounding not only the food preparation and cooking but the ambiance, mood and festivities. Add to that a perfectly cool Texas November evening and you have the recipe for a Thanksgiving dinner unlike any other.

Austin Monthly Home – Fall 2012

nicolemlakar — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:52:28 +0000

I had the pleasure of photographing the home of Kimber Cavendish, owner of Kimber Modern, for the Austin Monthly Home Fall issue. I loved Kimber’s home and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear her daughter Kenna and her friend Finley play the piano and sing during the shoot. There’s a really interesting story about this house and some serious mold remediation that was done after Kenna suffered from years of debilitating illness. This family has really been through it all and has come out on the other side for a happy ending!

I also photographed two homes for a feature on landscape design. The first was with Big Red Sun who created a really inviting play space anchored by rust colored planter boxes with a wide variety of plants and succulents. The second home was with David Wilson Garden Design who created a private oasis complete with a gorgeous pool and large entertainment area.

Here are a couple of outtakes from the shoots that I really loved.

Austin Monthly Home – Summer 2012

nicolemlakar — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:15:08 +0000

I photographed the homes of Clayton Christopher and Lora Reynolds for the Austin Monthly Home Summer Edition. Clayton Christopher owns Deep Eddy Vodka and he recently had a very lovely Mexican hacienda style home built that seemed to suit him perfectly. Lora Reynolds is an art gallery owner in Austin and she had really vibrant and interesting touches throughout her contemporary style home. Both shoots were great and I enjoyed getting to photograph both of these beautiful homes.

Summer beach fun

nicolemlakar — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 03:04:37 +0000

Went with my sweet to Sandestin, FL for some summer vacation fun. Took these images at Grayton Beach State Park. They had the most amazing trail that you entered through this arc of trees growing out of the sand. As you walked through the sand dunes it felt like you were transported into another world. It was amazing!

Austin Monthly – May: Chicken Coop

nicolemlakar — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:59:13 +0000

I have a love for chickens. I photographed my friend Levi’s chickens not too long ago and it sparked this love affair. So I was of course totally on board when Austin Monthly asked me to photograph a really adorable family with their baby chicks and sweet little homemade coop. I honestly could have photographed these little girls and their baby chicks all day long. We had a fun time for sure. Below are the tear sheets from the May issue and a few of my favorite outtakes from the shoot.

Family and Friends Series – Haircuts

nicolemlakar — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:46:20 +0000

Levi was a hair cutting machine at Grindaddy’s house. Three haircuts in one evening! Watching him cut Grindaddy’s hair though was the best of all.

Family and Friends series – Buster

nicolemlakar — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:51:41 +0000

A baby Boston Terrier named Buster is making an appearance in my Family and Friends series. He melted all of our hearts.

Family and Friends – Part… whatever

nicolemlakar — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:43:27 +0000

I don’t know why I started this series with “parts.” I’m ditching it because it’s silly and doesn’t make sense. Today’s images from my family and friends series are through the eyes of Jaxson.

Family and Friends – Part II

nicolemlakar — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:16:53 +0000

More images from my “family and friends” series. Iridescent rocks, playtime and family portrait paintings make up this set. More to come soon!

Family and friends – Part I

nicolemlakar — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:23:18 +0000

I recently got to spend a little time with a dear friend and their family. The weekend involved a few stops to different homes, lovely meals, home haircuts, puppy snuggling, and a trip to “Grindaddy’s” house. It’s been over 20 years since I’ve been to Grindaddy’s house and it was a wonderful memory for me. I will be posting a series of images over the next week since I have lots I want to share.