i recently had the pleasure of photographing a garden party / benefit for the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD. the delicious catering was provided by good friend and rock star chef, Joe Poulas of Harper Claire Kitchen. with all of the energy behind the scenes, it was hard to decipher where the kitchen ended and the party began!

Joe's wife, Kristen pieced together an exquisite quilt, crafted from clothes donated by the CCPC preschool families. the colorful birdhouses that adorned each table were painted by different classrooms within the school. many families donated gifts of food, time, and art -- each to be auctioned off at the end of the evening.

all of the contributions from the community and the hard work of everyone involved, made this wonderful night such a great success. i was so happy to be a part of the festivities and i may have picked up a few new cooking techniques along the way... thanks Joe!