enrique lima | houston homeowner

Picture PerfectVacation Photos

Fogo de Chao’sFresh Papaya Cream

Mister Summerstaying cool

Vol. 2 Issue 8

HOUSTON

YOUR HOME

TIME FOR TRAVELFlorida Keys

With just a few weeks left until the start of another school year, many couples and families are squeezing in one last summer getaway. Use these very basic tips to turn your vacation photographs from the mundane to “mantel worthy.”

Photographing People

When you’re arranging several people together for a photo, keep good composition in mind. Avoid lining everyone up like an elementary class photo. Instead, arrange your subjects in staggered positions: some sitting, some kneeling, maybe even lounging about on the ground. It provides more of a visual interest and shows your subjects in a more relaxed state. When photographing people, you may find that the candid shots turn out to be your favorites.

One of the most important guidelines for capturing the best shot of people is to always shoot at their eye level. So squat down if you need to and avoid the uncomplimentary view of looking down at or perhaps peering up at someone. You’ll also find that your best people pictures are those where the focus is solely on the individual(s). So take extra care to position your subjects against a plain, non-distracting background and get in close so your subject fills most of the frame.

Beach Vacations

When shooting ocean scenes, place the horizon line either high or low. Avoid centering it in the photograph. Placing it low gives the emphasis on the sky and is an excellent format for sunsets. Placing it high gives more importance to the beach and is nice when you want to highlight sand castles or sun bathers. If staging a beach photo plan to dress in coordinating clothing. White and khaki always look great on a beach and be sure to be barefoot!

Amusement Parks

Theme parks are bursting with photo opportunities full of vibrant colors and action. Try your hand at a bit of photojournalism and take a series of photos that tell a

story. Nighttime provides more opportunities for terrific photos. To capture the beauty of a theme park at night, turn your flash off and hold steady!

National Parks

Most national parks have a distinguishing special feature such as a geyser or monument. When shooting a landmark, it may be effective to position your family members near it to show scale. Use the rule of thirds in your pictures. Centering a monument or lighthouse in the photo looks choppy and unattractive. Rather, move it off center. It gives your photo that dynamic visual appeal and brings your picture to life.

INGREDIENTS

1 papaya4 scoops of vanilla ice cream1 oz Crème de Cassis liqueur mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

Peel and remove seeds from papaya. Cut papaya into pieces. Put papaya pieces and ice cream in food processor and process for 1-2 minutes until the fruit has blended completely. Pour mixture in a nice goblet or brandy snifter. Garnish with Crème de Cassis and a mint leaf.

DID YOU KNOW?

Deliciously sweet with musky undertones and a soft, butter-like consistency, it is no wonder the papaya was reputably called the “fruit of the angels” by Christopher Columbus. Once considered quite exotic, they can now be found in markets throughout the year. Although there is a slight seasonal peak in early summer and fall, papaya trees produce fruit year round. Papayas are spherical or pear-shaped fruits that can be as long as 20 inches. Their flesh is a rich orange color with either yellow or pink hues. Inside the inner cavity of the fruit are black, round seeds encased in a gelatinous-like substance. Papaya’s seeds are edible, although their peppery flavor is somewhat bitter. The fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins.

Source: WHFoods.com

Summer is here and with terrific weather for most of the year outdoor living spaces are used quite often. Some of us have courtyards perfect for morning coffee and backyards used for everyday leisure as well as entertaining. The only problem arises when the hot summer months make it unbearable to enjoy being outside, even in the evenings.

Enter residential misting systems. Misting systems are nothing new or innovative necessarily. We’ve all dined at restaurants or meandered through shopping centers that use a mist system to cool the air. But have you considered installing one for your own home?

Misting systems have been utilized for many years to cool outdoor

spaces such as patios, pool areas and walkways. Mist is an ultra-fine spray produced by forcing water at high pressure through specialized nozzles. As the mist evaporates, heat is absorbed. Newly-created cool air is heavier than warm air so it floats down to the ground, reducing the air temperature by 20 to 40 degrees.

The high-pressure misting systems utilize a pump that expels water at 1000 to 4000 pounds per square inch. At such high pressure, the water is atomized into droplets of about one tenth the diameter of a human hair. Because the mist is so fine, you can sit under it without getting wet.

You can have a misting system installed along the perimeter of your patio. You’ll find that the mist creates a wall or barrier of cool air, and will cool the entire patio even though you may not be sitting directly underneath the misters. In fact, on an evening with little breeze, the misters can cool your entire backyard up to 100 feet away from the misting system. Imagine dining outdoors or hosting a pool party where your non-swimming guests are cool as a cucumber.

Misting systems can create a dramatic fog effect for pools, landscaping and fountains—any area you want to bathe in billowing clouds of luxurious fog. Not only are those areas visually dramatic, but of course will also be cool and comfortable.

Water usage can be a concern and most of us are conscious of wasting this very precious resource. Should the water used in a misting system be a concern? The amount of water used in an entire year of average use is about one third the amount of water that simply evaporates from your pool each year. Now get outdoors and enjoy your backyard in misted comfort!

Fogo de ChãoFogodeChao.com

Looking Cool& Feeling Cool

The Florida Keys have become a popular destination for Americans looking for a tropical vacation without leaving their own country. The Florida Keys can be considered the American Caribbean and features all the same amenities as other island destinations such as world class Florida Keys fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling, boating, sailing, kayaking and eco-tours. Each of our island destinations has unique features.

Key Largo offers some of the finest diving and snorkeling in the Florida Keys. One of the main attractions in Key Largo is the John Pennekamp State Park. There are many Key Largo dive companies that run guided trips to the park and to area sunken wrecks just off Key Largo.

Islamorada is the next island destination just south of Key Largo. Islamorada is known for its world class sport fishing. Each season welcomes new fishing tournaments and angling opportunities. Bonefishing is especially popular with large bonefish up into the 10 pound range. Offshore sport fishing can be equally exciting during the winter months for sailfish just off the reefs of Islamorada.

Big Pine Key and the Lower Florida Keys are as ‘laid back’ as it gets here. Boating is one of the number one attractions and there are many different tours and trips to Looe Key for diving and snorkeling or out in the backcountry for fishing or bird watching.

Key West is also known as the Last Resort, the Southernmost Point in the continental U.S. Key West is whatever you want it to be. You can hide out in a tucked-away guesthouse, walk the beach and watch a beautiful sunset, or dance all night and peruse Duval Street in downtown Key West.

Source: FloridaKeys.com

Picture Perfect Vacation Photos

Crème de Papaia [Papaya Cream]