Holidays, learning to knit, and other excitement!

Lots of really exciting things in the works, including...I am learning to knit!!! Mary at Lizzie Ann's Wool Co has taken me on as a student. I could not beleive I was able to leave the shop after less than an hour with crazy knitting skills! Okay, not quite crazy, but I can cast on, and I can garter stitch something fierce! Purling is next...

My first project is a basic scarf made from some INCREDIBLE Classi Elite Aspen Yarn in Resort, a fantastic multi-toned purple.

I've also been working on some fun little projects for the holidays, Etsy, and a friend who's expecting a little one in March...

not too much to say today...

Just a snap of some recently thrifted items. vintage linens just like the ones my mom had as a girl, some diner mugs, and a nice pyrex casserole...I can never have too much Pyrex or Fire King!

Been feeling very blah lately, I think it's a side effect of an endless marathon of editing weddings and protrait sessions in front of the computer. As of right now, I see no light at the end of the tunnel, hoepfully that will change in another week.

So, can I live vicariously through you all? Do me a favor, get some fresh air for me and enjoy the fall! :)

the last few leaves...

I can hardly beleive that fall is nearing it's end. It seems like just yesterday that I was posting about the end of summer. Although it was busy, we had lots of time to enjoy the crisp weather...picking apples, outdoor portrait sessions, trick or treating, soccer games, and of course, football! My favorite holidays are just around the corner, and a season filled with baking, sewing, needlework, family time, and just being snug as a bug.

Photo Therapy!

Even though I felt icky and depressed, I could NOT resist the incredible late October weather that we had yesterday. I borrowed my business partner's camera, and set out with my little Stella Bella, in her special Matilda Jane dress, and I decided to just try to have fun with a camera...no pressure. We chased fairies, made wishes, picked flowers, and spun in circles, and took a few pictures along the way.

It really was good therapy...here are a few images that I loved!

pieces of grace...

Sometimes when we are at a low point, or a point in our lives where we choose to question who we are, who we are meant to be, and who we want to be, a little piece of grace, purely by chance, drifts our way.

Photography is not my passion, that is far too limiting. It is in fact, how I see the world around me. It's my saving grace, my sanity, my outlet, and it ironically allows me to let down my guard. I can see a side of people, even loved ones, through my camera, that are so blatantly pure. I have documented my newborn babies while I still lay in the bed they were born in moments before, the face of my beautiful daughter as her tiny body was set in her wooden coffin, my grandfater staring into the sunset at the same nursing home he passed at months later, my 2 youngest children tucked into a cardboard box, pretending to sail away, never knowing I was watching...beautiful and painful things.

Lately, I have questioned my ability, and have had moments of doubt, where I think that just maybe this love that I have for images and portraits and the world around me is not what I should be doing, not my job to document, and is not a gift that I have.

Then I watched Antiques Road Show (I know, that's what you all expected me to say, right?), the same as I do every week while I edit images on my laptop, and as I was about to shut off PBS, the biography of the incredible Annie Leibovitz came on. Of course I have been a huge fan of hers for years, along with Bresson, Capa, and the modern day Jill Greenberg, but I had never before seen this side of her. Very real, vulnerable, and at times it appeared, unsure of herself. To see someone that in my mind has always been so sure of herself, and so in charge, and has documented and recorded some of the greatest portraits of our modern times, was just...grace. Pure, saving, grace. Something that I needed to hear. I am quite possibly the most self critical person that I know, but I realized that's okay, as long as I can keep at it. If my criticism ever gets to the point that I want to quit, then the point of what I set out to do is gone, as is my love for photography. I want to push myself BECAUSE I love what I do, not to MAKE myself love what I do.

back to blogging, and doing fall stuff...

So, I would be lying if I said the insanity has died down, and that's why I'm back to blogging, but alas, it is not. Things are still going full force here...photography sessions, proofing, packing to move, cleaning incessantly, and sadly, dealing with the theft of thousands of dollars of photography stuff. Big huge bummer there, but many thanks to Stuart and my fellow OSPers for their help in that department, and for letting me borrow cameras and stuff!

The fact is...I just miss blogging, about the little bits and pieces of day to day life that keep me sane. And insane. :D Right now, I am trying to find little snippets of time for Christmas gift creation. I'm working on a granny square scarf, I think for my sister, in lovely shades of espresso brown, gray, and muted pink. I may have bitten off more than I can chew in the realm of handmade items, but we'll see what I can squeeze in time for. I just cannot bear to give my family more toys. We really need no more cheap, mindless toys! There may be a felt board in the works inspired by my friend Visty. I think a fabric play teepee, and thanks to Amanda Soule I (along with the rest of the world) flocked to the Stubby Pencil Studio to load up on stocking stuffer crayon rocks, and art supplies, for Max, my mercurial artistic genius of the bunch. Just a peek below of the scarf, cuz it's perdy!

Okay, I am seriously excited!

I have been stalking Oliver + S for days and days eagerly awaiting the release of the fall patterns! Time to do a happy dance...they are HERE!!! And just in the knick of time, my littlest ones have NOTHING and I mean nothing for fall, but my fabric stash could use some whittling down to say the least. I'm allover that Playdate Dress. As soon as my next batch of print orders come in, I will be snatching them all up! Hmmmmm, time to go rummage at the fabric store for some fine wale corduroy...

Summer days...

I cannot believe how FAST this summer has gone for us! As a photographer, this is my craziest time of year. I try not to schedule any work during the fall, winter, and early spring so that I can spend time with the kids, their activities, and academics (as well as all my crafty stuff!!), so the warm summer days (aka wedding season) is my working season. I always need to preschedule little breaks throughout the summer so that I know we'll get some great family time in. Our last hoorah of the summer was a week long stay camping at the beach.

It was so much fun! We had a spectacular time playing in the waves, feeling the warm sun on our face, and sand in our toes. We ate plenty of ice cream, lots of s'mores, and sat under the night sky around the fire and took turns naming the stars. The kids picked out such hilarious names for the stars...just a few that I can recall...Apple, Brad, Twinkie, and many many more. The weather is still warm and summery, with a few beach days left, and I hope to streeeeeeetch them as long as I can, and linger in the days left until September.

anybody home?????????????????

I've actually had 3 people email me to ask why I have neglected my blog for a few...which totally surprised me in all honesty, lol! I had no idea people were checking here daily, I feel bad now! I have a really painful stress fracture in my left foot, and to top it off, my photography business is always the busiest in late July and August, and I've been shooting all of my portrait sessions on crutches...so not fun. To top it off, we've had a handful of personal troubles lately too, some of the financial nature, some of the life in general nature, but things are slowly turning around.

Anyway, I'll be back soon with some great photos of my middle child's birthday, as well as some updates and fun things in general. And since I can't post without leaving a photo, here's one of my favorites of Maxwell and his cake (he said it MUST be orange and covered in candy).

enjoy the weekend!!

A market birthday

Javen's birthday was on Saturday, the same day as the local farmer's market. Our little guy is obsessed with cooking and food, so I made that the theme for the day. The morning started with him opening a cooking apron I sewed for him...which he loved! Then we went to the local market, and watched a chef demonstration, and my awesome husband talked to the chef, and Javen got called up as an assistant!!! I seriously think it was the highlight of his life. Then we picked out strawberries and Javen baked his birthday cake from scratch, Strawberry Country Cake. It so so incredibly good, the lemon zest really makes this recipe, I doubled it and omitted the orange zest. Javen's procclaimation at the end of the day dubbing it "the best day of my life" was really a great reminder of how important love, time, and one on one attention are the best gifts a kid can hope for.

thrifted curtains, and shirts that make me swear...

I guess I can't have it all, can I? I bought all of the Simplicity Built By Wendy patterns at Joann's this week, as they had a $1.50 pattern sale. Second ONLY to the 99 cent pattern sale. I went a little crazy, but at a buck fifty, I guess I can afford to splurge. So, the first one I attempted was the shirt with the diamond shaped inset, pattern number 3964. Bad choice. I swear I have made so many stupid mistakes on this shirt. I have spewed a string of profanities a mile long while stitching and restitching that derned diamond inset. GAH!!!! I am scared to actually try the thing on. Thankfully I just used some dirt cheap calico for my first attempt, and I SHOULD have the hang of it next go round. I am not thwarted easily!!

The same day of the pattern sale, I scored this really cool vintagey valance at the thrift store, for a handful of pocket change. I love it! I may use it for a pillow, or trim along the bottom of a skirt for myself of the girly girl. The last image is just a killer sunset I took with my latest lens purchase. I love summer sunsets.

shoes for needy kids...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the baby and toddler shoe brand See Kai Run. Not only are their shoes adorable and super soft, but my little girly loves them too. I went to their site to look for a new summer pair for the littles, and I saw that they have an awesome promo going on. For every pair that is purchased in June, they will match it with a pair donated to a child in need. So, if you are looking for new shoes for your baby or toddler, give them a try this month!!

japanese crafty goodness, and a good mail day!

I hit the jackpot when the mailman rolled into town today. First, I scored 2 patterns I'd been awaiting from Oliver + S, then came the next package, some cool Japanese crafty stuff! I LOVE Superbuzzy, I think it's been my coolest website discovery this year. I adore the modern, simplistic, timeless styles in Girly Style Wardrobe, and so naturally I sought out more lovely Japanese pattern books. I fell in love with my latest treasure...Home Couture for Girls. It's filled with schoolgirl-esque smocks and skirts, little dainty tea dresses, and peter pan collars galore. I am smitten. The photos are very easy to understand, and the patterns, while a pain to trace, are quite simple. And to top it off, my superbuzzy package contained some little pieces of Japanese candy for my oldest son and I to sample. Green tea and milk flavored...hmmmmmm. Caleb's response to the candy?? "Japanese people make cool video games, but their tongues are WEIRD". :D

Father's Day...

In our house we really work hard at defying gender roles. I am the flippant, overlooker of all holidays that are sentimental (birthdays, valentines day, sweetest day, mother's day, and lastly, father's day). It's not that they are not important to me, it's just that I am of the school that "things" don't make the day any MORE important. By "things" I am referring to cakes, cards, flowers, chocolates, presents, and so on. My husband, on the other hand, gets downright grumpy when I forget or opt out of those things, so we are always at odds when it comes to choosing how we will celebrate something.

So, this year he pleasantly surprised me when he announced he just wanted a quiet (laugh!!) dinner with myself and the 5 kiddos, and then just wanted to spend time being their daddy. So, we had a great little evening wandering around the waterfront film festival, having a dinner of shrimp po'boys and crab cakes, a trip to the ice cream shop, and then we finished off the night sitting around the firepit with marshmallows toasting, and little firecrackers. The kids could not have been more pleased, and daddy was smiling from ear to ear. A perfect evening!

He is one of those daddy's who is perfect in his imperfection, loving, sensitive, and I cannot imagine life without him. I have held his hand in lieu of medication during labor, cried on his shoulder more times than I can count, listened to him softly read Peter Pan off of his palm pilot to our 1 pound twins as they fought for life in their NICU isolettes (and subsequently snicker over all the times Tink says the word "ass"), watched him weep as he held our daughter Mya when she passed away, and have seen the lines appear on his often furrowed brow as he quietly stresses and thinks about the well-being of his wife and children.

We have our ups, and we have our downs, and we have been through more in our short marriage than many people endure in years, and I am so happy to say that even though our story is not yet written, and what is to come is still and always an unknown, I am more in love with him now than the day we said "I do".

Happy Father's Day Lamont!!

This and that

Sometimes I have an ambitious week...I plan a meal list, a corresponding grocery list, and then I follow it to a "T". And sometimes I do NOT have an ambitious week. This week is the latter, all week it's been a little bit of this and a little of that. I had a craving for hot german potato salad, so we made that yesterday, it was so good. The only part that was to be dreaded, was the boiling of potatoes on an eighty degree day. Of course, yesterday was also bread baking day, so I spent the better part of the afternoon in a sweat. The perfect counter to the heat was a basket of fresh local strawberries from the outdoor market. However, the little boys in the back seat of the van who were "only looking at the strawberries on the ride home, somehow managed to look at the berries with more than just their eyes. I arrived home to find red lips and tongues, and a few random berries rolling around the bottom of the basket. Gah. So, I made it up to myself today, I went out thrifting and got a chocolate shake.