Foodie Fun at Revolucion Mexican Steakhouse #dinerevolucion #SITSBlogging

Today's SITS Girls Photo Challenge is 

Food Photography

I'm extra jazzed the photo lesson today is written by Nap Warden, a fellow Chicago blogger I know in person as well as on line. Her tips are fabulous, funny, and easy to implement, no matter your camera budget or skill level. Check it out HERE. I'm going to add many of these photo tips to our FOODIE TUESDAYS features at ChiIL Mama.

I'll post these in 2 shots of different compositions so you can see which one you think is stronger.

For this submission, I was a little limited on lighting and surfaces, since these were shot on location at Revolucion Mexican Steakhouse, 3443 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL. Still, the servings were so artfully presented and delicious, and it was in my queue of "shot already and yet to review", so I decided to go with these.  

Huge thanks to Revolucion Mexican Steakhouse for hosting a tasting so we could come out and review. The food was fantastic with a range of unique dishes. The various steak choices were the unanimous favorites at our table, but the chicken choices were superb as well. We'll be posting another feature with more in depth descriptions of their entrees and their new chef.

Revolucion Mexican Steakhouse is Chicago's first and only Mexican steakhouse and if you're in Chicago, they're well worth a visit.

Save room for dessert. Their chocolate cake, churros and combo chocolate cake/flan were a sweet treat to top off a savory meal.

It was a true pleasure to join

@MyJoyMyWorld @more4momsbuck & @LittleTechGirl at @RevolucionRest for great food and excellent company.

Revolucion Mexican Steakhouse

 3443 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657 at 6:30 pm.

For More Information Check Them Out Here:

Website

Facebook

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Macro Milkweed Bug Love #SITSBlogging

We adore the endangered Monarch Butterflies and we've had a Milkweed garden in our front and back yards for them for years. The fragrant flowers are a joy, as are the butterflies they attract.



The poison, milky stems aren't every bug's cup of tea, but there are a few colorful creatures who adore them. Check out these Milkweed Bugs as my macro setting shots from the garden.

How To Rock Smartphone Photos #SITSBlogging

Mobile Photography

I've got to admit it. I'm a bit jealous of my husband's iPhone 6 and the gorgeous photos he effortlessly snaps. I'm still on a 2 year old Galaxy S4 which takes passable photos but not stellar ones. 

So I was extra excited to see the SITS blogger photo challenge today included a listing of favorite photo editing apps. I was already using 3 of their picks but I downloaded 3 more.

This is made with photogrid.

Check out the hashtag #SITSBlogging across social media channels for cool tips on DSLR, phone pixs, macro and more! And of course check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We'll be playing along too.

Losing Nakama

We've been absolutely heartbroken the past 2 weeks, since we lost our well loved Akita on Monday 6/29. At first, our 14 year old son was away at nature camp, so I didn't post anything publicly to social media, so he wouldn't accidentally find out before we had a chance to break the news in person. After that we've all been grieving and I just couldn't bring myself to type the words.

Nakama (Japanese for circle of friends) taking a water break at the Chicago lakefront. 

Late Monday, the 29th, he developed bloat, an insidious and often lethal condition big dogs are prone to, where his stomach twisted and he began to whimper & foam at the mouth. We rushed him to the emergency after hours vet where they gave him a sedative for the pain, but ultimately they couldn't save him. It was so sudden and unexpected we're still reeling. The up side is he didn't suffer a long, slow decline or experience much pain.

Nakama was a huge part of our family for the past 11 years, and he grew up with my kids who were just 2 and 4 when we first brought him home. Sage (now 12) drew this likeness above when she was 8, and I loved it so much I got it tattooed on my left shoulder a few years back. Now I'll carry a part of him with me forever, visibly and invisibly.

Sage also drew this likeness around age 10. 

At the end of Naki's life, Sage was there with her dad and me, stroking Nakama's ears and holding his head in our laps, as he took his last breath. She has been making lots of Nakama art and poetry as we've been grieving and celebrating his life these past 2 weeks.

Nakama captured our hearts over a decade ago and we will never forget him. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. 

This shot was taken before we brought him home, by his original breeder. They temporarily called him Picasso before we adopted him at 8 weeks.

We'll be posting lots more photos and memories of Nakama in the coming weeks. We're waiting for his ashes at the moment and will bury him beneath our Red Osier Dogwood in the back yard. He'll be there with our beloved Husky/Malamute, Xanthus who lived to be 13, and our foundling shepherd mix, Alia, who died in 2011 at age 16.