New York City Wedding Photographer | Vintage Modern Southern California Wedding Photography » Maggie Harkov is an international modern wedding & lifestyle photographer based in New York City.

Mr. Hallmark + my sweet Sophie + more snow than I’ve ever seen = one perfectly simple and joyful day.

“Happy Birthday, old lady.”  Yep, Mr. Hallmark knows the way right to my heart.  It’s in his sweet, subtle tones, the always heartfelt, never sarcastic voice that tells me that he loves me, by, you know, telling me I’m old as he greets me good morning on my twenty eighth birthday.  It’s strange, but as a child I never imagined myself ever aging beyond 21.  Sure, I pictured a life with my own family one day, but I really only thought of it in terms of what came with the new number.  I associated age with the next best thing, the number that would provide me with the most adult-like experiences, which I perceived to be better than the ones I would have as a kid.  Now that I am an adult, however, I don’t find myself wishing for that number to grow at all.  In fact, I’ve dreaded becoming closer and closer to thirty since I was 22.  But, can’t age still be the next best thing?  Today, as I sit here one year older, and one year closer to 30, I’m convinced that it can.   I have so much I’m looking forward to in this life and how silly is it to dread aging, when aging itself means I’ve had the opportunity to LIVE one year longer on this earth and hopefully become a better person as a result.  But, why, then, is aging thought to be such a negative thing in our society?  Why are we valued less when we’ve become more?

Does age really determine something about who we are or what we should be doing at this point in our lives?  For me, 30 always symbolized a place in life that I thought I needed to be.  I needed to have it all sorted out, be a well adjusted, happily married, mother by 30 OR ELSE.  Or else what?  Why was 30 the magic number for me?  What made me think that at 30 years of age I had to have it all figured out?  When I look at all the people I truly admire, I realize they never have it all completely figured out.  They always remain open and flexible to learning more and becoming better person.  And, though their years may bring a distinct wisdom, they are not old.  In fact, I see a child like youth in them that I only hope I have even just a fraction of.  The question for them seems to be not how old are you but how old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?  And, that, is how I want to live my 29th and every year on this earth.  Living the questions and trying to make this world a better place in any small way I can.

So, in honor of my twenty eighth birthday, here are 28 little tidbits about me.

1.  I love love and learned so much about it from my Mom & Dad.

2.  Mr. Hallmark is my very best friend in the entire world and I can’t imagine life without him.

3.  Family is the most important thing in my life.

4.  If I could be anywhere, it would be on the beach under the sun with those I love most.

5.  I have a love hate relationship with New York City.

5.  I love old houses.  L.O.V.E

6.  Taking pictures of emotion and freezing them in time makes me happy.

7.  I love Del Taco (a fast food chain in California) and have withdrawals on an almost daily basis.

8.  Sophie makes me smile every single day and I feel lucky to experience such joy.

9.  I can’t wait to have a family with Mr. Hallmark.

10.  I consume far too much Diet Dr. Pepper.

11.  I love being an aunt to my 12 nieces and nephews more than I can ever say.

12.  I love all things vintage/modern.

13.  I can’t believe how much things can change or stay the same if you let them.

14.  I want to live in a foreign country before I die.

15.  My favorite quote: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

16.  I am unbelievably blessed.

17.  I believe  heart to hearts are a great gift.

18.  The sound of rain makes me happy, even though I hate rain itself.

19.  I love to laugh and Will Ferrell does it for me every time.

20.  I love scents tied to memory.

21.  Mexican food is by far my favorite, though Mr. Hallmark claims burritos and enchiladas don’t really count.

22.  I heart chick flicks and anything with romance far too much.

23.  I am incredibly nonathletic.  So much so that I’ve had many people tell me they’d pay money to watch me attempt to play anything and not fall on my face.

24.  I will do anything for the people I love.

25.  I love my job.  SO much.

26.  I love traditions.

27.  I am extremely sensitive.  This can be a great and a horrible characteristic to have.

28.  I love life and learning.

It’s one of those days.  You know the kind.  The rainy, gloomy, just want to curl up and read a book, and crawl under the covers with a warm cup of goodness kind.  So, in light of this, I thought I’d share one of my favorite soup recipes that warms me up and makes me feel good every time.  It is delish!  I hope you enjoy!

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

6 cups chicken broth

2 (12-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers preserved in water, drained

1 russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 (3/4-inch thick) baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.

Puree the soup in a regular blender or food processor until smooth, taking care while blending warm liquids. Then season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and enjoy!

Growing up, I always loved opening my bedroom door on Valentine’s day morning to find a sweet little Valentine from my Mom and Dad awaiting me.  I remember how special it made me feel and the smile it inevitably brought to my face.  At school, the mailboxes we’d made out of old shoe boxes stood at the edge of our desks and a rainbow of Valentine’s made of pink and red construction paper, Elmer’s glue, glitter and doilies floated around the room.  I loved it.  I loved creating these little letters for friends and people I didn’t know very well and the way it forced us to appreciate something about each person in our classroom. I loved the way it made us see how we love and the way we show it towards one another.

Today, I still love Valentine’s day.  I know some people think it’s a silly Hallmark holiday and that doing something special or appreciating the person we love most should not be reserved for one day, but rather be something we do daily.  And, in that respect, I couldn’t agree more. But, I love Valentine’s day because it designates a time to appreciate one another in a way that is difficult to ignore.  It can be so easy to get caught up in life and to let the unimportant take over what is most important.  But, on one day a day is dedicated to love and appreciating that love.  And not just the love of my life, but the love in every person’s life and that, to me, only makes the world feel like it’s a little warmer and more loving place to live, which in my mind, can only be a good thing.

Happy Valentine’s day to you and the one you love.

I had the privilege of hosting a baby shower for my dear friend, Kendra.  It was so wonderful to celebrate Taylor’s near arrival with such joy while helping Kendra get ready for motherhood with all the necessary baby items (and my goodness, are there many!), and to see the absolute glow on her face.  It goes without saying that she will be an amazing mother and I can’t wait to see her play that role so beautifully.

It was a great fun to plan a non-pink baby shower for a little girl and to serve some non-traditional dishes that were easy and didn’t require hours of preparation.  Kendra loves all Asian cuisine, so Mr. Hallmark and I suffered through taste testing from every Chinese and Japanese menu in town to find the perfect place.  It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.  We ended up ordering from Shanghai Bistro & Den and prepared the easier dishes in our own kitchen.  Instead of cupcakes or a cake, we did a miniature candy bar and served doughnuts and coffee for dessert.  It was a low calorie, highly nutritious meal, obviously, but it was great fun and it was enjoyed with friends over much laughter.

Etsy, my new amazingly creative best friend helped me out with the adorable banner and the pom-poms that gave a little kick of color in our home.

The mother-to-be and yours truly

And my very wiped out little girl, Sophie, who found all the female attention simply exhausting.