everyday things.

A new workshop announced:

Posted in Life, Misc, News on December 02, 2011

Happy Friday to you all!

This past week has looked quite different than normal. Charley has been in Knoxville with grandparents all week! She is coming home today and I cannot wait to get her back in my arms. I miss kissing her neck and smelling her hair. I miss sitting with her while she eats and making her laugh. I love that little girl so much and there’s nothing like a few days alone to be reminded of how much I love being a mom to her.

Now, having said that, I have fully enjoyed my week. I have actually been quite busy (a lot busier than I thought I was going to be), but it’s been great to have some time to breathe and dream and plan.

I am working on something new for 2012 and am very optimistic about it. I truly think it will be a big deal to many people. To make time to work on it I wasn’t planning on hosting another workshop for quite awhile. But then I realized this week that the “when are you going to announce your next workshop?” emails have not even remotely slowed down. So, I’m going to host one more for January. The workshop will launch January 9th and registration will open Monday, December 12th (more details can be found here).

It looks as if our nanny will be able to work a few extra hours to help me teach another workshop and continue on with my project aaaannnnnd prepare for that sweet baby (hopefully) on the way. So much good stuff in the works and I could not be any more excited (and freaked out)!

Leaving you all with a few pics of a family I took pictures of a month or so ago. I had never met them before, but I felt totally comfortable in their presence. You know those types? Those are the best!

Hoping you have a restful weekend,

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf:

Posted in Misc on November 30, 2011

I’ve got something new (and a little addicting) for you today. My friend, Emily, turned me on to this adorable girl named Wendy and her fantastic fashion website called Wendy’s Lookbook a few months ago when I was visiting her in Memphis. Wendy is a total fashion genius and although I am just about the complete opposite I totally appreciate good fashion. I love seeing someone who can piece together a few things, look totally comfortable, yet stylish and cute. This is one thing I love most about Cincinnati. There are so many fashionable people here, it seems, and most all of them make it look like it’s no big deal. And, according to Wendy it isn’t.

One of my favorite videos of Wendy’s is her ’25 Ways to Wear a Scarf.’ It’s so awesome and surprisingly relaxing to watch:

On Wendy’s ‘About’ page she shares that she grew up in the foster care system and worked three jobs in high school in order to afford college. She is a true testament to how anyone, no matter their background, can be true to themselves by finding a way to make money doing something that brings them happiness. She is not only ridiculously beautiful, but it’s obvious she works hard and smart. Women like Wendy inspire me to remain true to myself by being bold and taking risks.

Have any of you all heard of Wendy and her fabulous site before?

xo,

p.s. A few other great videos of hers are the ‘Everyday Updo’ and ‘The 10 Essential Closet Items.’

My friend Beth & her family:

Posted in Life on November 28, 2011

We started at home, ate lunch, headed out for a little ice cream and then enjoyed the mild Autumn weather for a bit before returning home. This is my friend Beth and her family whom you’ve heard me talk about.

I entered into this session with no expectations and took pictures of absolutely everything, no matter what the lighting was like or what/who was in the way. And, I realized in the midst of, on my ride home and even when editing (only using Lightroom) that these are the types of sessions I want to shoot more often. The ones where everything and everyone is as is. It was utterly refreshing.

This is one more part of the new wind I’m feeling as an artist and a business owner.

xo,

Thanksgiving Table Ideas:

Posted in DIY, Misc on November 22, 2011

As with most holidays for us we are not celebrating it like normal folks do. Corey has to work on Thanksgiving and the day after so we’re going to have our Thanksgiving meal (with just my parents who are kindly coming to town to keep me company) on Saturday. (If only sick people could take the holidays off!)

I look forward to the days in the future when I’ll get to host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at my house with a house full of family and a table filled with food. I’m not much of a cook, but I love feeding a full house.

I also love to decorate. I obviously won’t be decorating for just our small group, but for those of you who might I thought I’d share some easy decor ideas I’ve found on Pinterest.

VASES:

Vases are the easiest way to decorate a table and a house. You may remember the ones I used for Charley’s finalization. I think these vases would make for easy and cheap and stylish decor, too!

Vases wrapped in twine:

I actually did something similar for Charley’s birthday by using larger baby jars, wrapped in twine and secured with a small piece of Japanese tape:

These vases are Ashley’s from Under the Sycamore. She simply hot glued a hairpin on a vase to make it easy for you to add a little vase bling. The full tutorial can be found here. Wouldn’t it be cool to add photos of things, places and people you are thankful for and then line them up down the table?

I love the simplicity of this lunch bag covering the vase with a piece of baker’s twine wrapped around.

And, more …

(Vases wrapped in different colors of yarn, vases hanging from the ceiling (or even a chandelier!) and glass bottles painted (I’m so doing this!).)

CANDLES:

Use Epson salt to make it look like snow:

Floating candles and some raffia:

PLACE MATS:

Chalk board place mats? Brilliant! What do you think these are made from? Paper, I’ve learned, curves when painted so maybe some type of thin wood?

And, I’m totally digging these super simple place mats made from Kraft paper (remember you can get Kraft paper for *cheap* at Home Depot!). You can draw on Kraft paper with white chalk, too, so the possibilities are endless.

TABLE RUNNERS:

As I always promise with every Pin I make on Pinterest I am SO doing this:

If your’re short on time this is super easy and just as stylish:
(p.s. You can do so much with burlap/jute. You can get rolls of burlap/jute from craft stores or here at this online store).

And, we all love Ashley’s famous doily runner:

Another option is to simply use any fabric of your choice like I did for Charley’s finalization:

HGTV: Our Bedroom Post-Reno

Posted in HGTV, Misc on November 22, 2011

I started working on this post at 9:30 yesterday morning. I haven’t been working on it the past 24-hours, but I think I tried to write it and get it posted like five times yesterday.

Well, what’d you do all day?

I have no idea. Except I did go to Crossfit and do a bajillion kettlebell swings at 53 pounds which means I’m gonna be feeling like I was in a car wreck the next two days. And, my crazy baby went to bed alive and happy and with food in her belly (and her hair because I didn’t feel like washing it) so that’s gotta count for something. Blog post or not I’d like to think that my day was quite successful.

Moving on …

A week or so ago Meghan left a comment asking when I’d be showing off our new renovated room. Well, guys, since it was finished in May I think it may finally be time to show off our new space (wink).

First, you gotta be refreshed of what it looked like before (by clicking right here.) I would so post them here to give you a real before and after show, but at the pace I’m going with this post this thing wouldn’t be published ’till Thursday.

You’ve seen the sitting room/future nursery so I’ll spare you from those pics again (if you missed that post you can check it out here along with the awesome rug I snagged for it!).

Starting from the sitting room – you see the stairs coming up to our room and the short little stairs leading to our new space from the sitting room/nursery:

For those of you who saw our show I finally replaced the rug we were never crazy about. I got this baby at Homegoods for just $100 and sold our HGTV one on Craigslist for $200. (I just high-fived myself.)

(There was a color cast in this image and I only wanted to Lightroom these babies so I just turned it to black and white. Go ahead, call me lazy.)

(Not a fan of the orange glassed track-lighting, but oh well.)

HGTV didn’t gift us that TV. We just moved ours from the main level to our bedroom. I watch less TV than ever before. I really like having a TV in the bedroom. There are plenty late afternoons Charley and I just hang out in this room watching TV and eating goldfish and Corey and I love watching Modern Family and then giggling ourselves to sleep.

The stand that is part of the built-ins (which are from Ikea!) is too low for us to see the TV well from our bed so I built that little makeshift shelf-a-ma-jig to raise the TV and give it a nice fit so that Charley can’t reach it and/or pull it over on top of her. She does though like to push all the buttons on the cable box and spread the CD cases all over the floor.

And, you know we loooove our new floors. Real wood, wide plank, hand scraped awesomeness.

Heading into the bathroom …

Some sweet storage, my jewelry (which is mainly filled with plastic jewelry and a set of pearls), our giant pile of clothes needing to be ironed and my visual priority list.

(Yes. I’m totally obsessed with that bathtub and use it often.)

The picture above the bathtub is a favorite of mine of Charley. I took it one night after her bath time, tickling her with one hand, snapping photos with the other. It’s the slightest bit soft in focus, but I love it way too much to care. It always makes me smile when I look at it. And, it’s a great reminder to not sweat the small stuff. There is so much joy in this world and she is a daily reminder to me to relish in it. Letting small (usually meaningless) things weigh me down is a total waste of energy.

The frame itself is from an antique store. I got it for just $2 (it was just the frame itself). I then ordered plexiglass and backing to fit from this awesome site. It’s not the cheapest place ever, but the fact that you can get frames, plexiglass (which = safest for homes with kids) and backing in any size (down to 1/8″!) is awesome.

Via the iPhone archives the frame originally looked like this:

Then one day when Charley was snoozing I gave it a quick primer rub down:

I then went to our stash of paint we’ve used around the house and picked the color we used in our main level bathroom.

And, wahlah!

And, in case you are wondering (because I’m sure you are), yes, our room is always that tidy. I am a total domestic goddess and I never would make our bed just for a picture or stuff a bunch of crap in drawers to make me look better than I am. I mean seriously, you can’t get much more perfect than this trophy wife.

How jealous are you? ; )

p.s. Thank you for your kind comments and emails Friday. Your words mean more to me than you know. I replied to each of your comments just in case you didn’t see already.

p.p.s. I have another Thanksgiving-decor-inspiration post headed your way today so check back in a bit.

A small shift, a lighter load and a bigger impact

Posted in News, Ramblings on November 18, 2011

If you don’t like how things are, change it. You’re not a tree.
-Jim Rohn.

It’s late and I am exhausted. My husband is sleeping soundly next to me and I am eager to join him. But, I want to write a little something before heading off to Dreamland. Writing always seems to help me sleep better.

I returned to work post maternity-leave January 2011. For almost 11 months now I have been struggling deeply with my place in this aggressive industry. I am completely distracted by my love for my child. By my love for being a mother. By my love for running a household and for investing in the relationships that make me … well me.

Me*

I have had more days than not that I’ve wanted to quit everything and disappear into the world of mine that exists offline. Yet, something … Someone has told me that’s not what my future holds.

And, so I’ve struggled. And, I’ve wrestled with God. I’ve prayed and journaled. I’ve cried to my husband. I one night yelled to him. “I think I’m losing it!” (I think at multiple times I have in fact lost it.)

How can I reconcile both my desire to be a present mother and my desire to run a successful business? How can I continue to be a part of an industry that is totally overwhelming me and wearing me out? Everyone is jumping on board and so many people are getting bigger and better. How can I keep up when the best parts of me are being given to my daughter?

And, then it hit me.

It took – no lie – over a solid year, a slew of intense moments with the Lord and even more moments of making my husband bug-eyed. It’s taken unloading to friends I trust in the industry and a whole bunch of nights sitting up late jotting down notes.

The industry has changed so much since I joined it five years ago. I look around and I feel like so many photographers’ work looks the same. Logos look the same. The wording on blogs sounds the same. People’s desires to buy more, get more and own more all sounds the same. Whoever knows the most is the best. Whoever has more followers on Twitter or likes on Facebook is the best. Whoever sharpens their photos just right, gets the skin tone just right, doesn’t get any bad shadows in their pictures, edits their photos most dramatically – yes, these are the people that are the best. You better be just like them or you are inferior.

But, this all bores me. Like really really bores me. I’m sick of not being inspired. So many of us are blessed to own these super cool things that put a rectangle around our worlds and then freeze them in time. Oh my gosh! Can you even believe how friggin’ amazing that is?!

So, how come if we’ve all been gifted some of the most amazing things ever created in this entire world are we spending more time than ever studying others’ work, calculating costs to get that cool new website, doubting ourselves, overwhelming our photos in Photoshop and so much more? How come we can’t all be happy just to take what we’ve been gifted and use these cameras of ours to capture the world around us the way we see it?

What if we found out that if one year from now every single camera in the entire world would disappear? What would our pictures look like these next 12 months? Breathtaking, I’m sure of it.

We wouldn’t dare waste our time on all the things (fancy watermarks and websites, kitschy writing, and self-doubting) that surround the only thing that matters (making photographs).

We would simply take our cameras in our hands and we would document every single bit of our lives. We’d have a pure desire to document the lives of those that don’t have the blessing of owning a camera. We’d be so much less critical of our own work. Maybe the lighting wasn’t just right, but at least I’ll never forget what it looks like when she’s curled up in his arms at the end of a long day.

So, it’s all quite clear to me now. I can in fact be a mother. I can in fact give the best parts of me to my family and run a successful business. I can in fact continue to teach and give and help other people grow in their photography. I can in fact continue the love affair I have with my camera (which is in major need of a cleaning, but how am I supposed to go without it for two whole weeks?!?).

Things are about to shift around here a bit and I think you’ll like it. It’s not bigger or grander. I would like to think it’s better though. It involves me and you and our cameras and our lives offline (a.k.a. the parts of our lives that are the most important).

I would never consider myself a genius, but I am crazy enough to think I can change the world. At least mine, my family’s and maybe .. just maybe .. yours, too.

Stay tuned …

xo,

DIY: A homemade baby bed

Posted in DIY, Misc on November 16, 2011

So, Charley has this baby best friend named Leona …

They are both adopted and were born just four-weeks apart. Leona’s mom is also one of my dearest friends.

Wait, why is her title about a baby bed and her post about Charley’s best friend?

Because that’s how I roll. In writing and in-person. Can you hang?

When Charley was … oh ten or eleven months old she found a baby at Leona’s house and carried/crawled around with it. She would stop to hug it and kiss on it. Martha (Leona’s mom/my sweet, dear, scrumptious friend) and I about died. Martha let Charley bring Baby home with her.

Then, for Charley’s first birthday she was gifted another Baby.

She loves her babies.

You can say at any point, no matter what she’s doing, where’s your baby? and she’ll bring you at least one of them.

I have a video of her carrying one of them around kissing it over and over. Then, in the video, she laid Baby down and continued to kiss it’s lips. I nearly died from cute-overload.

So, I got this idea to make her baby a bed as a Christmas gift. I wanted to make it special so I wanted to make something homemade. I didn’t have intentions of making it so far in advance, but we had a lazy Sunday home a few weeks back and she took a nice, long nap so it just worked out.

Prior to this day we headed out post-nap to some of my favorite antique shops and enjoyed perusing around the stores. She loves getting out and I love having a buddy to tag along with me for afternoon coffee and some of the most delicious honey/flaxseed/oatmeal concoctions called ‘Birdseed Bites.’ Have you ever heard of them? I still crave them!

In the first store we entered I said I was looking for an old box. She walked me to a stack of few, I picked up the one I liked best and bought it lickety-split! I thought it was priced a tad high at $20, but it was oh so perfect so I couldn’t pass it up.

With most projects around here I don’t think about sharing them on the blog (although I’m trying hard to change that). I so wish I had a before picture for you, but I don’t. You can just use your imagination. Imagine a box exactly like the ones I used in Charley’s room, just a bit taller.

I got to use my new circular saw my dad got me for my birthday so that was pretty exciting. I also used my jigsaw to get some of the edging so if you have one of those it’ll work just as well. The fourth side I left tall for the headboard. I had everything I needed to make the bedding minus a bit of fleece I picked up from the fabric store. I could have totally made the blanket without the fleece, but I am obsessed with soft things myself and I’m pretty sure if Baby could talk she’d say she was very grateful for the fleece lined blanket I made for her.

The “mattress” is made from foam board (like this) I cut to size and the pillow is a mini-pillow case sewn with blanket-like stuffing (like this) inside.

The headboard is a piece of scrapbook paper I had on hand, cut to size and modge-podged on. I tied a scrap piece of twine around with intentions of hanging some sort of banner, but I ended up liking the simplicity of it so I left it as is.

The end is a paper doily cut in half and modge-podge on (love that stuff!).

At least now when Baby gets carried around by the neck, dropped on her head and taken on walks where she occasionally falls out of the stroller she’ll have a comfy bed to sleep in. Christmas day on that is. Only six more weeks, Baby!

Anyone else brave enough to admit that they’re already buying/making Christmas gifts? Did I mention that I made this in October? You heard me. Now ‘fess up yourself so I won’t feel so ridiculous.

p.s. Tons of boxes like the one I used can be found on Etsy. Some great ones can be found in just this one store.

The anatomy of a dada coming home:

Posted in Ramblings on November 15, 2011

Once we’ve received the call letting us know he’s on his way home we typically wait for him in the front yard or the living room.

She usually spots his truck first.

Then he’ll walk up on the porch.

She’ll hear the opening and closing of the mailbox.

And, then the jingling of his keys in the door.

And, finally … Dada’s home!

Hugs and kisses are shared by all and then she sits down to sort through the mail just brought in.

Then, we put on some music, talk about our days, drink a cold beer and make dinner.

Of course with Corey’s work and busy schedules not every night looks like this, but the ones that do we are thankful for.

+++

I’m done with your camera. Pick me up and make me dinner!

A new stage of life sprinkled with a dash of tears.

Posted in Ramblings on November 11, 2011

I called my mom yesterday morning on her cell phone. She didn’t answer so I called the house. No answer. So I called ..

My dad – Do you know where Mom is? (He didn’t.)

Mom’s cell again. This time I left a message.

It was too early to call my sister (she lives on the West Coast).

I called my friend Beth. She didn’t answer.

Actually … maybe my sister’s up. So, I call. Twice. Both times went straight to voicemail. (She was indeed sleeping.)

Try Beth again. This time I left a voicemail. Sad. I need to talk.

Called my friend Lisa. No answer.

Finally …Beth calls me.

I just needed to vent to someone who would understand what I was feeling overwhelmed and sad about. My baby is still a baby, no doubt, but she’s a full-blown toddler, too. And, at her 15-month check-up last week the doctor said she’s doing things she should be doing at 18-months. This includes throwing a tantrum and banging her head on things when she doesn’t get her way.

She’s got more energy then ever and it’s so incredibly obvious that her brain is developing faster than her language skills. Every 15 minutes something happens that frustrates her. She can’t reach the basket of toys, she can reach the drawer though, but I take our toothbrushes away from her before she puts them in the toilet, she crawls in the shower, I get her out, she cries, she wants to go down the stairs, up the stairs, down the stairs, she want to be read to, but I’m neck deep in dinner duties, she wants to help, she grabs a knife from the dishwasher, I take it from her, she cries, she spots the grapes on the counter, she wants some, she can’t have any right now, she wants my coffee, I move it higher, she cries, she wants to run in the street, I turn her around, she cries…..

Yesterday was one of the first days quite possibly since last winter that we were home all day. Eleven straight hours (minus her 2-hour nap) is a long time to try and keep a toddler happy without letting her ruin something or kill herself. I almost burst into tears when Corey walked in the door and the house literally looked like it had imploded. (This morning when I was putting my shoes on (which took me less than a minute) she pulled the bottom drawer of Corey’s dresser open and pulled out all his t-shirts and boxers and spread them around the room. She can trash a room in record time.)

Beth said, “I get it”, which is all I needed from her. She has a two-year-old and a one-year-old so it’s true: she gets it. This stage of parenting is tough. And, I’m not naive enough to think it gets easier. I know there will be a new set of problems around the corner. I guess I’m just finally surrendering to the fact that we’re no longer “playing house.” You know what I mean? Charley is no longer my adorable accessory. I mean she is still my adorable accessory, but she’s going to grab all those shirts off that shelf and run as fast as possible through the store dropping one every few feet!

Rabbit trail to the left: How is it that children get more energy with age and sleep less in exchange!?

Beth told me to be gracious with myself and to accept the fact that I’m not going to do everything right.

I know this is right, but it’s hard when you’re a mother. There’s a huge part of me that feels like I fail every time she cries, bangs her head on the wall or tries to bite me.

My mom called me back after I got off the phone with Beth. I said all the same things, but this time through tears. It’s like living with a really cute, belligerent drunk who’s verbally abusive! (Yes, I was feeling exceptionally dramatic.)

I felt better to just get it out. I didn’t want any ideas or opinions or advice. I just wanted someone I could cry to and say, “this is hard.”

On my way home from Crossfit (I can’t imagine not having CF a part of my life right now) I was talking to another friend and I told her that out of all the people I’m connected to, out of all the books I read and blogs I peruse it’s interesting to me that no one ever seems to talk about how hard it is to be a parent. Maybe because it’s such a “duh” thing to talk about or maybe because people don’t want to sound like they’re complaining or maybe because people feel like that’d be griping about their child’s being or maybe because people feel like it’d be admitting defeat in some regards.

Talking about how hard this is doesn’t feel like a “duh” thing to talk about to me. Wow. This is really hard.

If I sound like I’m complaining, I’m not. The wait was long enough to never make me take one day for granted (even if the days are hard).

I adore everything there is to adore about Charley, but she’s not always the easiest person to be around. That is that.

And, lastly, yes I’m admitting defeat in all kinds of regards. Again, this is tough and I know I make mistakes everyday.

But, like my friend Beth said, “The hard is woven in with the really really great and those are the things we have to cling to.”

Isn’t this so true with all of life? (I like friends like Beth.)

When I pick up my camera and capture the really really great I’m reminded that everything is going to be okay. And for this, today I am feeling most grateful for photographs.

p.s. It feels crazy to me to compare this post with this one written only a year before we found out about Charley’s impending arrival. Man, have the times changed.

p.p.s. Anyone remember this hilarious video of the “drunk” baby trashing the bar?

Flowers & wine

Posted in Ramblings on November 10, 2011

I know buying flowers and wine as a gift is usually reserved for guys, but I realized the other night that flowers and wine are some of my favorite ways to treat myself.

Flowers seriously brighten my day! I think they also help me keep the house clean and tidy. I guess it would seem unfortunate to have a dirty kitchen with flowers sitting in the middle. So, I like to treat myself every now and again with a small bouquet (usually only costing $5-7) of flowers when I’m Krogering.

My other treat is chocolate wine. Say what?! You read that right! Chocolate+wine=sinfully delicious!

My mom turned me onto this stuff and it seriously is so amazing. It’s pretty inexpensive at only $10 a bottle and you serve it chilled so it’s the perfect dessert drink when snuggled up on the couch unwinding from your day.

Do any of you buy flowers for yourself for no good reason? Have any of you ever tried chocolate wine?

xo,

VASES:

CANDLES:

PLACE MATS:

TABLE RUNNERS:

MENU:

If you don’t like how things are, change it. You’re not a tree. -Jim Rohn.

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If you don’t like how things are, change it. You’re not a tree.
-Jim Rohn.