Bluebirdbaby

mother's day weekend

this weekend was so special. we celebrate my sister's birthday and mother's day at the same time every year and have a simple gathering full of good food, wine, and music.

this year we hosted and it was just so much fun!

we started the weekend with going next door (yes...next door!) to a fabulous greenhouse and got a bunch of annuals to plant in pots for gifts.

on sunday morning i awoke to a choice of either breakfast in bed, or breakfast upon return from a run. so i chose to run! i ran 6 miles in the pouring rain and returned to my two loves waiting at the door with a towel to dry me off. they had the table all set with a fabulous breakfast (bacon, eggs, and kale) with espresso AND some champagne (wow!). they had the most fabulous gifts for me (how did i get so lucky?!) and both told me i was the best mother ever. aw!

we celebrated all day and into the night...mostly just celebrating being together, because as mark says..."it's what we do best!"

how was your mother's day?

home.

our lives have been very full lately. full of this and that, good and bad, easy and hard, fun and work, laughs and tears...all things that remind us that we are human. life is a mix of everything, because it's, well...life. and really, who would want it any other way?

we're so very busy at the moment, and finding a time to just breathe and relax can be challenging. tonight we're working in the studio before a very long day tomorrow (the little one has her first opening at a gallery!) and looking forward to a rainy weekend that may just slow us down a bit.

i captured these images from around the house earlier in the week. somehow just looking at them makes me slow down, take a deep breath, and relax.

what are you up to this weekend, friends?

saturday

what a busy weekend!

this is what our saturday looked like... (sunday to follow!)

he leaves me love notes. and i always put a note in his lunch. everyday.

gherkin enjoys the sun. these poor cats are now indoor cats and they are struggling...

baked apple pancake. i bake so much for them and i adore it so. recipe here.

and espresso for us.

creative play in the morning.

she loved it. she really requested "pie" upon waking. so this is what i gave her. she approved.
and he can't be more grateful for my baking. he's always so excited when something comes out of the oven!

 

what did your saturday look like? xoxo

a little Q&A

i had so much fun receiving your questions! i love to think and formulate answers, so i've been thinking about each and every one of your fabulous questions for the last couple of weeks. i've had a great time with it!

here we go...

How did you get into photography, what inspired you and how did you learn?

My parents gave me my first Polaroid camera when I was three. We were having our annual vacation in Camden, Maine. I remember my mother shoving the camera in my hands, proclaiming that they had no pictures of the two of them in any albums. She now tells me she always knew I'd get a good shot, even back then. I never cut off anyone's heads and always had it level!

I was incredibly inspired by my mother's vintage Life magazines. I fell in love with the work of Lewis Hine and Dorothea Lange. They inspired me to capture emotion in a photograph.

I took a B&W film course in high school. They offered the first one my senior year, and you had to be top of the class to get in because there were so many people interested. I think there were twelve of us total. I loved it. Had my camera on me at all times. Never stopped after that.

 

 I would love to hear more about how you make your living--is it mostly the photography work, or do you do other work as well?

I make my living through photography. I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing something I love everyday. The actual shooting time is so minimal compared to editing, client convos and organizing, bookkeeping, and social media. It's a constant, daily job requiring so many hours a day. But the most important part is the energy and intention I have to put into it. Even when I am trying to take a day "off" (which rarely happens!), I notice a shift in the energy. So it's a lot of emotional, mental, and physical work on my end that I do all on my own.

A day doesn't go by where I'm not thankful for what I do. I NEVER take it for granted. I was able to buy my home because of what I do and the energy and work I have put into my business. It's a tremendous feeling!

I also help Mark paint houses in the summer (we trade labor! he's now one of my second shooters!), model for artists and photographers, and teach my online courses!

Being self-employed is scary at times...especially here in Maine when the winter is long and slow. It requires tons of effort and you really can never put your work aside. It must be in the forefront always.

Will you and Mark have more babies?

Haha! Likely. With the little one getting so old, and our careers just blossoming, it's hard thinking how it would all fit. But we are excited for the day when it would become a reality! Likely in a couple of years :) 

What beauty products do you use?

I only recently started investing in "beauty products" because for some reason when you're about to turn 30, everyone starts asking you this question! HA! I use MAC and Bare Minerals make up. For everything else, I use Derma-e. I have extremely sensitive skin and have allergic reactions to many cosmetics, so those are the brands I find to be the gentlest! Shampoo and conditioner is Burt's Bees. I swear by their lip balm! I always have one (or two) in my pockets!

I would love to hear your philosophies about relationship, couple's communication, how to still believe in marriage after divorce. . . anything along those lines.

SUCH a good question! I never thought I would get married again. I have (like so many out there) had my heart broken and have felt like I could never trust or love again. I started to guard my heart and become closed off, almost scared to do it all again. But Mark showed me a different way. We teach each other so much, and are continually leading each other through our fears with love and appreciation.

My philosophy in a relationship? To always be honest, open, loving, supportive, and each others best friend. Committing myself to someone is a big deal to me and I believe that no matter what happens, you have to be there for one another.

Getting married is a huge step for me. I never thought I'd get married. But I suppose when you find that right person who is willing to meet you halfway always, who is willing to do the work if necessary, and just truly and honestly loves you to pieces, it all seems....well, right.

We are each others best friends; our best cheerleaders. We love, inspire, motivate, and support one another. It's a wonderful thing.

How did you and Mark meet?

It's a small town. We hung out in the same social circle. Everyone knows everyone else here. I always admired his artistic talents and really connected with his eye for beauty. But I never would have believed I would share a love with him. It's been really interesting having a blossoming romance with someone you kinda "knew." I feel like we have an advantage of sorts. We got to see each other as we were as people, before we were mates. It gives you an entirely different prospective!

What's your favorite food?

This is a hard one! I LOVE food! Does butter count? Or bacon? Or mayonnaise?! Those are my favorites and three things I couldn't live without!

What does your exercise routine look like? It sounds like you run a lot?

Yes, I run. I wouldn't say a lot, but many would say it's frequent HIGH-INTENSITY running! I run 5-6 days a week. My longest run is 7 miles, shortest is 3.4. I do speed work, weight lifting, and am now looking into Crossfit (thanks to a blog reader!). I build muscle very quickly and I really enjoy working out. I feel like it evens out my whole day. It makes me confident, strong, and happy! Recently the little one and Mark both started running with me. They go at their own pace, but it's nice to get out together!

Is there anything that has changed about your parenting philosophy over your years of mothering? Are there any parenting choices you would make differently, if you had them to make over again? What is the hardest aspect of parenting for you?

The one thing that has changed about my parenting philosophy over the years is to let go. And that has come from being someone who is co-parenting and sharing custody. I had this notion of raising the little one in a very certain environment, with specific values, and parenting choices, and ALL of that had to be rearranged on my end because it simply didn't work anymore.

I had to adjust who I was as a mother. I had to let go, to be a different mother, but also learn to take care of myself first in order for it all to be okay.

In terms of parenting choices I would make differently, I honestly can't think of any. I always parent her the best I possibly can. I am very mindful of my parenting.

The hardest part of parenting for me is maintaining boundaries. Having a kid that goes back and forth and has two very different households can sometimes make the parent feel like they don't want to have boundaries or rules. Sometimes I feel like I have to overcompensate, but I remind myself that the boundaries and rules I set are minimal, yet important. She has a good balance of fun and also learning about life. My job is to prepare her for adulthood. I am teaching her how to be in the world. I have to remind myself of that sometimes. It's the most important job I have.

Her toys are so simple and few and I love that you attempt to rotate them to give her fresh fuel for her imagination!  I read a comment on facebook that said you found her horses at antique shows? is that right? I've never thought of shopping for unique toys there. Are you ever worried the safety of the things you find....that they may contain lead, arsenic, etc.

Actually, the older she gets, the more toys she has! While I tried to keep things minimalistic and few, as she has gotten older and her room bigger, she seems to collect more and more. Her room is filled and often it just completely overwhelms me. Most of it is art supplies and horses. But this is one of those things about "letting go"...she is not me. She is her own being who has a completely different aesthetic and way of collecting every odd and end she can find. There are rock, twig, feather, and moss collections. She has buttons stored everywhere. Jewelry can be found all over. Bits of taped up paper cover her shelves and under her bed. Her doll clothes and wooden figures and Playmobile literally scatter the room with no real home. She hates when I clean up (although she adores when I vacuum!), and prefers to organize things in her own way. So yea...we're different. And that's okay.

In terms of finding antique toys, I wouldn't worry about the lead paint unless it is something that is clearly an issue. Most of the things we find are not THAT old and things like the Breyer horses would have no problem at all. If something is suspect, I wouldn't buy it.

Where does the name "bluebirdbaby" come from?

I don't know if anyone knows this, although it's been in the "about" page for quite some time! When the little one started to crawl she was fascinated by the bookshelves. She loved the bird books and would pull out the same one over and over and turn to the "bluebird" page and point and giggle excitedly. She become my little bluebirdbaby, and this blog was named after her. 

What features on the Mark III were worth the price difference for you?

ISO, ISO, ISO. I wanted a full-frame camera that could handle the low light situations I find often when shooting weddings. It was time I had a professional camera. This is my job; how I support my family. The investment was well worth it, even if I'm still paying it off! 

What lenses did you buy with your canon?

I am a prime girl! I LOVED my 30mm 1.4f Sigma for my old Nikon, but with the full frame I opted for the 50mm 1.4f, 35mm 1.4f, and I'm saving for the 85mm 1.2f and a 24mm tilt-shift. Then my kit will be complete :) 

What's your favorite thing/place to photograph in the whole world?

My favorite thing to photograph is a couple in love! I love when two people are so in love that they completely forget I'm even photographing them and instead get lost in each others gaze! When people are just totally themselves in front of the camera, it makes my job such a joy!

How did you start your photography business and what tools you use as a professional photographer?

I owe the start of my photography business to this blog! I photographed a wedding because a local couple loved my photos here and they asked if I would mind photographing their beautiful wedding (hello betsy and andy!). I jumped feet first into it and loved every minute! So I just slowly started building up my portfolio, did a lot of unpaid jobs, and it went from there!

As far as tools I use, I'm guess you mean equipment and editing software? I use a Canon 5d Mark iii which I recently purchased. Lenses are listed above! I have Lightroom and Photoshop and use both to edit my photos. A lot of the photos you see on Bluebirdbaby are not edited at all. But I always edit photographs from my jobs.

Are you all eating Paleo or just gluten free? Can you share some of your recipes?

I eat both! I have Celiac's, so I don't eat gluten at all. I eat Paleo and have been since December. I feel great! I was having many digestive issues which landed me in the hospital with no explanations and many tests. I went Paleo and felt normal again for the first time in a long time. I eat a lot of fat and protein and greens.

I bake a lot for Mark and the little one (who are both gluten-free), but don't eat it myself. For recipes, I just modify whatever I make for them to be Paleo for me. For instance, the little one loves shrimp scampi with pesto. I make that for them with chard over pasta, but leave off the pasta for me and have a big bowl of chard with shrimp and pesto. Yum!

For other meals, I love omelets filled with greens and onions and garlic. Fried eggs with avocado and hot sauce. Turkey sliced thick rolled up with lettuce, mayo, and avocado. Big garlic salads. Lots of meat and seafood. Tonight we are having garlic salmon with asparagus!

What are your style sources for clothes and decorating? Which blogs, magazines, etc. do you turn to for your ideas, or does it just come naturally.

• Pinterest
• Backyard Bill
• wit + delight
• Freunde von Fruende
• Sous Style

Those are a few of my recent favorites. I don't have the time to visit many websites a day, so I keep my inspirational list minimal. For magazines we receive TONS of fashion and art publications. Mark really loves mail! So we get everything from Vogue and Vanity Fair (my fav) to The Sun and Bomb Magazine.

For my own style, I pretty much develop it myself. It obviously must come from somewhere, but I have VERY particular tastes. I have to find something I really love to buy it, and it could mean it's a $5 shirt at a thrift shop or a $100 shirt at some boutique. I don't buy much and when I do buy something, it's something I REALLY want or would walk away completely mad at myself for not buying.

I tend to have a hippie-tom-boy-with-an-edge style. I am super petite which sometimes makes buying clothes hard. It's hard to find pants small enough. I think the most elegant outfit can be jeans and the perfect tee, paired with jewelry and some kick ass boots. I love roaming about the house in an oversized cashmere sweater and nothing else. When I go out, you can either find me in rolled up skinny jeans and a plaid button down and leather jacket, or a completely gorgeous slim fitting black dress. I like variety. I like the chance to dress up. And I adore how clothes can transform a person.

How do you guys manage to make creativity such an important part of your lives? By the time my kids are in bed, I am too pooped to even think straight!

Ha! Well, Mark and I are complete night owls. I've been battling an awful flu/cold bug for the last two weeks, so I am now understanding what it's like to collapse into bed around 10 p.m.! Otherwise, we put the little one to bed and stay up until midnight working in the studio. We have a lot of energy and are highly motivated creatively, so we typically get really pumped up to work at night. On the weekends, we are all either in the studio making something or outside painting, or going to galleries, or a combination of them all!

 

This has been so much fun! Thank you for the wonderful questions!! Happy Thursday! xoxo

published!

do you remember that article i talked about writing? well, i finally received my copy in the mail while we were away and i was absolutely blown away by the whole presentation. the photos they chose work beautifully together and i couldn't be happier!

i talk all about why i do this...why i am still here after over 6 years of blogging. and the reason? YOU! i owe so much to you all for being here, for supporting me on this crazy journey, and for your wonderful kindness. so this article is all about you!

the publication is Somerset Life, and although the recent issue i am in is not yet available, it will be soon right here!

so, thank you all for continuing to be here and offering your support and kind words. you have no idea just how much it permeates my life and keeps me smiling!

xoxo

a whole new world

did you know i have been a professional photographer shooting with not-so-professional equipment? for years i told myself that it's not what you're shooting with, it's who's behind the camera. which is oh so true.

but i consistently found myself bumping up against some obstacles because of my equipment. what it couldn't do, being stuck in a hard, frustrating place while at a job. but i did what i could and made it work. i valued myself and knew what i was worth, even after continually being questioned by wedding guests that had cameras better than my own. but it was all good. i stood tall and delivered more than i thought capable each and every time.

but when i thought about going into this season, i suddenly panicked. i'm at a place where this is my life; this is what i do and how i make ends meet. and i want to take it further and do more and more. mark kept telling me i needed equipment that could do the job. i kept putting it off. could i use the same equipment that i've been using for the last three years? no. not really. i needed a push. i needed to take that leap.

i researched, read reviews, almost clicked the "purchase now" button many times. and almost two years has passed since i first starting thinking about upgrading. but i did it last week. my new camera arrived in the mail. it's crazy to me. i was too afraid to touch it.

mark will tell you that i'm absolutely scared of debt. i work hard to make it all disappear as soon as it happens. he'll also tell you i'm the last person i'll buy something for. everyone else in the house will have new socks, and i'll still be walking around freezing in my ones filled with holes. i'll make sure everyone else has proper running attire, but i'll be out there freezing in what i've owned for 10 years. but nevertheless, this purchase has been huge. and scary. and it's not over yet. being a professional, i need another one. a back up. with two more lenses. i'm really trying not to think about it. too scary.

i'm just getting over my fear of somehow ruining my new camera before the season starts, so i took a few photos the other day. it's a full-frame, a different lens (i miss my 30mm!), and a CANON. so it's all new to me. buttons are different, the look and feel is different. it's like starting all over and learning from scratch! even the light meter is backwards...

so these are the first images i took with it. tonight i have to master the video capabilities because we fly out to DC on friday to shoot a promo video for a band and music venue on saturday. i've got mics and lights and a new camera to deal with. so i'll be practicing like crazy this week.

in the meantime, i'm selling my Nikon gear. some of it is already sold but here's what i have left:

• Nikon D300s
• Sigma 30mm 1.4f
• Nikon 85mm 1.8f
• Nikon 60mm Macro 2.8f
• Nikon 10-24mm 3.5-4.5f

If you're interested, e-mail me at: erinlittlephoto@gmail.com

 

taking that leap

i feel like the real erin has been a little absent lately. you know...the one who checks in and writes what's in her heart. that one.

and really, i've been meaning to, but life is moving by at such a fast pace that i haven't even had a chance to catch up. photos, recaps, simple words, and quirky little bits are all i've been able to really put together. and i've been enjoying them, but sometimes you just need something really genuine.

a couple of nights ago i was laying in bed thinking about where i am, where i've been, how i got here and what's next. making it happen is always in my mind. there's a lot i need to make happen this year. working hard to make ends meet, being prepared for the unexpected, continuing my own personal work, following my heart, manifesting the life we strive to live...it's continuous effort and work and requires mindfulness daily. but it's something that makes life worth living. it's the reason i am excited to get out of bed in the morning, full steam ahead.

i'm a hard worker. seriously hard. i'm the last one to give up. i push through my work like it's nobody's business. i'm always looking for more, a way to do things better, a way to become stronger, wiser, and more capable. a way to be a better individual, lover, mother, friend, sister, daughter. because i believe if we ever settle for what is now, we never will find out what comes next. and what comes next is usually better. there is always something to learn, so bring it on. growth is essential to happiness.

i tend to play things safe. something that i feel has held me back. i dream big, but when it comes to taking risks, i tend to think in my libra-ish ways and sometimes end up talking myself out of it. but then there's him. he ever so gently nudges me into the unknown, with full faith and encouragement. like i am capable of anything. so i leap. i release my firm grasp and just go, into the unknown. the scary. that hazy gap between what we know and what we'd like to know, where we find out just what it takes to get there. and his hand is there for me to hold if i need it, but you know what? i dig my heels into the ground, wipe the sweat from my brow, and say thanks, but no thanks. i can do it myself. because that way i will learn.

he tells me i'm stubborn, but in a good way. i am. for better or worse, it's usually what pushes me ahead even when i think i should have given up long ago.

but you know what? if i had given up throughout my life, i would not be here. and here is pretty darn good.

despite all the leaping, i'm more grounded than i've ever been in my entire life. i'm me. plain and simple. and he's there, always, with a smile on his face and an, "i told you you could do it."

and he's right. i can.

in february we...

a couple of days ago my iPhone all of a sudden kind of started to, um...not work so well. the culprit? the hundreds (okay, maybe thousands) of videos and photos stored on there.

so today i was exporting them all to an organized little folder on my computer and i realized just how much of our daily lives i captured. i rarely post my iPhone photos here, but there are really so many i just love!

so i've decided to start recapping the month with a little collage of what we did! here's february:

 

 

what did you do in february? happy weekend friends!

xo

e

my new site, and my new name

well, many of you have wondered if i've already gotten married because of my new name popping up here and there. no...i assure you, you would be informed of that event and there would be many images and likely videos of it too. our big day is september 28th of this year (because many of you are asking that too!). we are planning and dreaming and budgeting and thinking of ways to make it all so unique, and well...us.

but with the day approaching yet still far away, i found myself needing to choose a permanent domain for my new portfolio site, and my checks ran out, and i was out of business cards altogether. and so i just went ahead and did it.

here i am. erin little. yup...suits me. that's what everyone says at least. i think so too. feels good. perfect timing for being in a new place, with a new life, and everything just opening up to me.

and to celebrate my new name, i introduce to you my new personal portfolio site. i've been compiling images for a while now. it's shot with 99% film! i'm very proud of that. it's nice to have a place to showcase that work which otherwise doesn't really have a venue.

so go take a peek here! i'd love to know what you think!

 

what we call a weekend

Guess what?! Bluebirdbaby is on Facebook! This is a great place to ask questions and find out even more happenings, and likely some photos that didn't make it on the blog...go "like" it now! See you there!

a weekend for us (without the little one) really is just one big blur.

we work in the studio. we talk and plan. we indulge in some champagne while painting.

we go to bed at crazy hours and wake up later than we ever expect to. we take turns each morning going downstairs to start the coffee and tea, and on sundays bacon too. then, while one of us dozes, the other one brings up the feast. we eat in bed, deciding just exactly how we want to spend the day.

sunday we munched on bacon and sipped coffee while starting to plan our wedding. we started a new journal of all the ideas. we set the date, found the photographers, i have my dress, now it's all the fun little details.

we take care of odds and ends around the house. laundry day, the big food shop and meal planning for the week. we take lots of photos, each of us. usually of one another and the little things we are doing.

sometimes we get so caught up with a project that we forget to eat and finally begin making dinner at an hour i'd rather not admit.

and then, in the blink of an eye, the weekend is past us. monday morning comes with the unmistakable and dreaded sound of the alarm, where we are jolted into reality once more. the long work week starts, where we spend far too much time apart just counting down the minutes until we will be together again.

what are your weekends like?

 

 

 

my mornings

weekday mornings are somehow pretty leisurely. with him going off to work and the little one going off to school, we still manage to lounge in bed a bit, make breakfast, slowly sip coffee, and talk about the day ahead.

then i make lunches, say my goodbyes, go for a run, come back and settle in for a day of work.

this is my morning in pictures...

first cup, with them. he makes coffee, i make breakfast. she runs around the house doing all sorts of 6 year oldish things.

i love sitting at the table and seeing the light streaming in. sometimes i linger after they are gone and take it all in. as a photographer, light is incredibly beautiful to me and i appreciate it so much.

i say goodbye. hugs and kisses. and then more again. they leave. now it's time for my run. 3 or 6 miles today? depends on the cold.

back to shower. my second cup comes upstairs with me while i get ready for the day.

i'm so low on clothes. i got rid of so many when i lived in the studio because of space. i need some really good basics. what are your favorite clothing companies? you'll find me in jeans and a v-neck. pretty much everyday.

breakfast, finally. sometimes i end up eating it around 11. i went paleo a couple of weeks back (i was having major stomach issues that landed me in the hospital a few times in the past couple of months and giving up grains and sugars cured it!) and have never felt better. i eat tons of fat and protein and greens at every meal. this is my favorite breakfast now: eggs, avocado, and hot sauce.

and then work. all day. i love it.

 

what do your mornings look like? do a similar post on your blog and share the link here in the comments section!

xo

a little change

i'm so happy so many of you are joining the 2013 challenge to "make it happen"!! YAY! i can't wait to share this journey with you!

it's been almost 6 whole years since i first started this space. it's pretty much looked the same since then. i've wanted to give it a little "face lift" for a while now, and finally got around to it today. how do you like the changes?

this space here is very important to me. i want it to continue to be beneficial for both me and YOU! so tell me, what would you like to see here this year? product reviews? my old outfit posts back? more about something else?

leave a comment here and let me know your thoughts, or you can go to the new "contact" page and send me an e-mail directly!

enjoy the new look!

xo

e

ring it in

we rang in the new year with our first official party at the new place. it was mellow and just what we were hoping for.

good friends, good food, good drinks, good music.

we followed it with an annual brunch in town, a long walk, then back home to snuggle in and read while m painted the door.

the snow is piled high outside and it officially feels like winter, although we are already itching for spring and garden plans.

now we're up in the studio. he's working on his latest painting, i'm editing photos. we'll open another bottle of champagne in a bit, sit down at the table and write our plans for the new year. we have many. hopes, dreams, goals...lots of things to manifest. we'll make a big poster of it all for above each of our work desks.

this year has been one of the hardest and one of the best in my entire life. i lost a love that was so dear to me, i lost a home, i gained a love, i gained a home. it's been a wild ride. it took me from a home i so lovingly created to a two room studio with no shower or bathtub (that's right...that galvanized tub was more than just for kicks), a make-shift kitchen with hot water that lasted only 4 minutes at a time, a hot plate and toaster oven, a mini fridge that couldn't even fit a full sized bottle of orange juice. i sold many valuable possessions, some for the money and some just because i had no room for them. i learned the difference between what is important and what really doesn't matter. and the things that are important are few. they are the ones you love. possessions mean nothing.

i found the man i will now marry and a love blossomed in that crazy little place on the river. i showed the little one that in the face of adversary, if you work hard enough and push through the things that could get you down, you can do anything. i started with nothing at the beginning of this year. no money, no home. i worked so hard. she would always say, "Mama, do you remember when this was just an office? And now look...you made it a home."

m is constantly in awe of how i could go from nothing to this. he is always telling me that what i did verged on impossible. i mean, really...how did i do this? how did i go from nothing to buying a church all by myself? but that's what 2012 has been for me. full of hard work that has paid off. in every area of my life.

i'm sad to see it go, but i'm excited for this coming year. the hard work is somewhat behind us. we've arrived. now the fun work begins.

which leads me to my newest project for the year to share with you all. more on that in a bit. we've had 30 days of beauty, a year of choice, and now i've got something else up my sleeve. stay tuned.

happy new year, my friends! xoxo

us.

guess what? he proposed! i said yes!

i am so very happy. and so very lucky. and so crazy excited!!

here we are. a little bit of us for you...

 

an evening

a cold, wintry evening.

we have a rhythm now. warm food, candlelight, singing and playing, dancing.

the evenings are my favorite.

tonight he and i are in the studio. he finished a painting, now he's working on another. i'm designing new cards and working on a new site.

then i'll sit down and work on my painting and varnish another i just finished.

we are sipping on wine and later, much later, we'll go downstairs and reheat some leftover soup i made last night and sit at the table and chat about our day.

we're feeling thankful for everything we have and everything we have to look forward to.

how is your evening?

 

 

just everything

i haven't quite figured out just how to do it all. but i always try. there are many roles to play...mother, lover, friend, employee, business owner, housekeeper, artist, and the list goes on...

for some reason i keep thinking life will eventually slow down and all of the things i've been wanting to do will finally be possible. but the one thing i keep realizing is that the older i get, the faster time goes, and the more stuff accumulates on my plate.

and now, here i am with a man with the same dreams and hopes and visions by my side, and we look at each other at end of the day and laugh at our completely crazy, full, nutty and nevertheless wonderful life. and we wonder how we are ever going to get to it; the life we are craving to live.

but then, perhaps this is it. perhaps this is an entire accumulation of everything we want, hope for, and need. and perhaps it's just all spread out into bits and pieces so that we can do it all and more.

tonight we will dream and hope, figuring out how to squeeze just a little bit more in while still remembering to breathe through all that we already have.

i guess that's life. and well, we are pretty lucky, indeed.

 

a little bit of nothing

it's not often that we don't have more things to do in a day than time allows.

but the little one and i have been battling two separate intestinal infections, and now i seem to have a pretty intense ulcer (any advice?!), so with two of us not feeling so great, we've been hanging around home and doing a little bit of nothing.

i've been baking a lot these days, even though our kitchen does not have running water yet, or even a stove for that matter. but i've mastered the art of baking in a toaster oven and cooking on a hot plate from our old place, so it's not much of a challange. there have been breads and pies and cookies and muffins.

the little one has been adding so many leaves to our gratitude tree. our lives are full of things to be thankful for. top of her list? cats and horses. mine? a home.

mark has been making a countertop for the kitchen, the sink will be hooked up monday, and i bought a new stove. i haven't had a real kitchen in 10 months. i'm really looking forward to it!

we strung up some christmas lights outside too. we found ourselves humming along to holiday tunes while breaking out the decorations. i think it's safe to say we are all very excited for this holiday season.

tonight we are upstairs organizing the studio. i'm anxious for mark to start painting again and i am working on the e-course which has two weeks left.

well, i guess after writing this it doesn't seem like we're doing nothing at all. but not having committments and places to go always seems like a bit of a break.

hope you are enjoying your weekend too! xoxo

Contributor to Maine Mag!

I had the honor and pleasure of doing a shoot for Maine Mag last fall. Sophie Nelson (assistant editor and also author of the featured article) and I headed way out into the Maine woods last November to hunt. Yup. Hunt. It was quite the experience and we had a blast!

I was so excited to see one of my photos on the cover, as well as my contributor bio and all the photos they chose for the story. So exciting! I really enjoyed this type of work and hope to do much more of it in the future!

Happy Monday, friends! xo

 

 

our home

this is it. our new home. i closed this morning. i did it! i can't believe it.

i'm so so happy. a little shell-shocked, but in an amazed-oh-my-goodness-i-just-bought-a-church kinda way.

i'm heading over there with the little one after i pick her up from school. m and i are going to paint now and all this weekend.

so much to look forward to. life is good.

xoxo

cozy.

trying to settle into this new season. i've found i'm not quite a cold-tolerant person. my body is just not made for it. so i've traded in my tank tops and sandals for layers and wool sweaters. i'm still trying to get used to the shift.

i'm gearing up for the big closing (10 days away!!) and all the renovations that will ensue. i'm hoping to get in as soon as possible, so now we start packing up our wee space here. not looking forward to going through that again. but this will be our place...forever. we won't have to leave (unless we want to) and so there will be no more packing and unpacking, just settling. what a wonderful feeling.

i never thought i could do this. or at least not as a single mama, creatively self-employed 29 year old woman. but i guess i never thought about doing this in the first place. i am capable of so much more than i ever imagined. buying a church? ha! no problem! it really makes me think that if i work hard and believe, anything is possible...

what are you up to, friends? xoxo

it's that time of year

it's that time of year where i stare longingly at my camera.

there is sits, on the top of my open camera bag, waiting...

for you see, that camera spends a whole lot of time in my hands during the summer and fall. some 9 hour days. long days where my fingers eventually go numb from holding the weight of it (i don't use a strap!), and i find myself just needing a break from it.

i turn to my film cameras or iPhone more. and then there were the 5 rolls of 120 film i shot with my new medium format that came back blank. apparently the shutter was fused shut and i didn't know it. a bit of frustration...photos from all over. GOOD photos, i was certain. oh well. it's kind of magical having all of these shots in my head. these amazing moments i captured that will never be seen again. but they are stuck forever in my mind. pretty cool.

but i felt bad for neglecting my digital camera today, so i picked it up and snapped these photos from my morning routine. tea, eggs, darkness (it's been rainy for days), me unshowered and groggy, and bits and pieces from this space we will soon leave.

this weekend i have some mini-sessions with some fabulous peeps (if we don't need a rain date!). then mark and i are heading to a super amazing space to do a photo shoot with oodles of cameras and tons of props. i'm launching a personal portfolio site this winter, so i'm gathering work for that.

and just because...here is something that is amazing.

happy friday, my friends. and have a fabulous weekend! xoxo

29

i turned 29 today.

this is the 29 year old me. i've changed a lot over the last few years, finally arriving at a place where i am confident, happy, and content.

these are Luksin designs, and excuse the dramatic "model" face...we were taking this for a her website. stay tuned for a Luksin giveaway next week! YAY! and she'll be updating her shop with the fall line today!

happy weekend, friends. xoxo

fall.

everything is different in this wee space. our rhythm is different; both daily and seasonally.

we have made the best of the lack of storage and really no room to do that much of anything. and we've enjoyed it, as challenging as it might be.

but i am so looking forward to our bigger space next month. and eventually gardens. and all our rhythms and routines back to some semblance of what once was.

celebrating seasons is something i really miss. we've done what we could, but most of my traditions with the little one have been scaled back.

i was reminded of how excited i am for what's to come when we made applesauce the other day. i only could make what we could eat that night, because i have no place to store the rest. we gave some to neighbors and had the rest for dessert.

but i found myself so excited to really dive into creating again, and establishing new traditions and bringing back old ones. feeling unsettled is exciting and pushes you in new directions, but can also leave you just grasping for anything that string your days together to create a cohesive life.

we're ready. so very ready for what's next.

what are your fall traditions?

xoxo

 

Tin Types

We had a fabulous day at the fair yesterday. The most fun I've ever had before! Mark and I chaperoned the little one's school trip and then we split up to explore on our own. I have many more pictures, but I wanted to share this one...AgNO3 lab has been there the last couple of years and I've always wanted to get one of their fabulous tin types done.

Well, this year I did it. Worth every penny.

More photos to come soon...

i did it.

i worked hard.

i must continue to word hard.

today i was told the good news...i am accepted.

the home is mine.

a gallery, a living space, a darkroom, a studio space, an office...it will all come true.

my dream, my hope to have something that will never go away. that is mine. something the little one will always have.

there's still so much riding on the inspections. i trust that it will all be okay.

fingers and toes are crossed. but for now, we celebrated. much of the hard work is done. but so much more remains.

he says he's so proud of me, and you know what? i am too.

xoxo.

iPhone love

so, i've been very neglectful of my camera lately. i have been shooting weddings and portraits and other professional photo stuff, and well...when it comes to capturing day to day life, i find that i am using my iphone more and more. just for a change. and it really does produce some amazing images.

so this is a little bit of life in the past week. what it includes?

art walks in portland at night.

bits of fall

breakfast with my love

a new design by Luksin (i can't tell you how AMAZING her new designs are for fall/winter. they are so flattering. i look a wee bit awkward in that photo, but the dress is seriously kick butt!

a new gallery exhibit by the little one and mark. they collaborated on these pieces. the ones on the left are called "new snowflakes" and the ones on the right are called "bare hearts". her opening is this friday night at the frank brockman gallery for anyone who is interested

metal work by isabelle pelissier

and well, then there's me.

...

what are you all up to this week? have your little ones started school? the little one is 5 full days now, and i find it so very odd! but i am getting lots of work done...

xo.

 

labor day

well, my labor day was spent working. two different jobs. but the end was great.

he finally arrived and we spent the late afternoon working, brainstorming, and painting at the table. happy to see each other once again and spend time together.

then it was down to the backyard for a view of the river and some g&ts. and more brainstorming.

fall is coming. you can feel it in the air. it makes me excited for what's next. good, exciting things.

tomorrow is the little one's first day of school. 5 full days for her this year. she's very happy about it and so am i. i feel so lucky she has such a wonderful school to go to.

how was your monday?

around here

it's almost the end of august. how is that even possible?

the beach days are slowly coming to an end. the light is changing noticeably each evening. the days are turning drier and cooler. it seems like summer just started and without our traditional ways of marking the summer (berry picking, preserving, gardening, etc.) it seems like we never really had it at all.

but we've been busy. doing new and exciting things this summer. the little one went off to her first overnight with my mom to a camp in western maine. she adored it! what a big milestone.

i've been working hard on wedding stuff, personal portfolio work, painting, gearing up for another e-course, and of course being a mama. and the biggest news of all is i'm trying to buy a house. all on my own, which feels really great. so there's a lot of things happening right now, and i certainly don't want to neglect this space here...

so here are some shots from our days. today is rainy and dark. mark is making me an omelette right now while i sip my tea and munch on bacon. i've got a long day of work ahead and a couple of houses to visit.

i miss you all and this space here. what are you up to today?

first show

we've been spending the nights working.

we cook. we eat. i put a little one to bed. i edit, he paints. i stop editing to paint.

we listen to patti smith and talk and dream, painting side by side. we make plans, goals, and drift in and out of the present moment almost simultaneously. drifting off to the future and the unknown. the mystery of it all excites us.

i'm heading down to brunswick today to hang my first show. really excited. i just finished two big pieces that i'm pleased with, although i told mark that i pretty much despise everything i paint. he says that's normal. but the show is exciting nonetheless.

we're finally taking a day off to relax. breathe a little. paint. take photos with my medium format. explore a bit. and there's always dreaming. always.

what are you up to this weekend??

 

boston

his paintings were a hit. they got a prime spot in the gallery and the art walk was packed. people loved them.

we made connections. drank champagne. stayed out past midnight eating and talking and laughing.

walked back to the little European style hotel we were staying at and talked some more.

then it was up early the next day and down the street for americanos and breakfast.

we wandered around the city with my medium format camera, took some shots, then made the long trip home.

we got home and it was back to everyday life. sometimes that can be overwhelming, sometimes we welcome it.

the duality of life is often very intense for me. the pull to city life, fast paced urban living, everything going on and things to do...i crave that so intensely sometimes. it is where i am in my life right now. working, living, exploring, creating, enjoying...it is so much a part of the artist side of me and who i am as an individual.

and then i'm a mama. i'm a mama who loves the outdoors, who loves to garden and raise chickens and cook and clean (yes. i do.) and read stories and snuggle and teach my daughter how absolutely wonderful she is and what life can offer her. i want all that too.

so often i feel as if i am being pulled in two different directions. very strongly. and i don't want one without the other. maybe it's the libra side of me; needing that balance. so i take it upon myself to make it work. make it all work. create that reality, however dual it may seem.

so i guess that's what i'll do. and for now, it will all be okay.

......................................................

all the above photos were taken on my iPhone. some of you requested pics of my new dress and more can be seen here on my tumblr page!

happy weekend! xoxo

a different way

i've been thinking a lot about how i think. that sounds weird...even just typing it.

i started to remember how i thought as a child. a wee child...even younger than the little one. and even then i knew somehow the way i processed information-the way i took everything in-was different. i didn't understand how others did things, and they certainly didn't understand my processing either.

and for most of my life, the one person i connected with more than any other was my uncle who was an artist. he painted, went to school for art, taught art, created art. he got me and i got him, in a way that was so natural it couldn't even be explained in words. he died when i was 10 year old, which was an experience so profound it deserves a whole other blog post.

but as an adult, i have found it hard to connect with others on a deep level. hard to share the way i function in this world and process information with another person. and now, there's him.

i am continually amazed by the connection. the ease in communication. the mutual understanding. the hopes and dreams of each of us an individuals that mesh together to form one vision.

and to be creating art with another person...to be hoping and dreaming and talking and supporting one another and doing it all with just an ease that is so genuine is like a big deep inhale and slow exhale, knowing that wonderful things are to come. it's just lovely.

he is my best cheerleader. and i, his. we are creative individuals first, and together we are capable of so much.

thank you

thank you for your kind words. they mean the world.

i just developed 8 rolls of film. to see much of it, go here.

happy weekend, friends. xoxo

Monday

Guess what?!!!!! It's Monday June, 25th! The start of the Eyes Open Creative Photography e-course! WOOHOO! I am accepting registration until Thursday, so if you are still interested, now's your chance! It's gonna be good...!! Go here to sign up!

Also, there seem to be a lot of people with an Australian based e-mail address, which for some reason keeps bouncing back to me. So if you have an e-mail that ends in .au, please send me an alternate e-mail (gmail, or yahoo...). Thank you!!

And any others, if you have not received an e-mail from me with all the course information, please check your SPAM folders!!

it's monday. another start to another week.

sometimes the days all blend together. there really is nothing that separates the mornings from nights, the weekdays from weekends...they are all about getting everything done. and that everything really requires much more time than i could possibly have.

i was chatting with a friend about it all, about how i am so grateful for all this work and thankful that i can feel a wee bit more financially secure and start saving for the winter, which is always slow, and i realized that i haven't had a day off in ages. months even.

but this is life. this is my creative, unconventional life. my work is part of who i am, and i can't separate it from everything else. so it all blends together in a rather seamless fashion, mostly leaving me trying to guess what day it is, or better yet, all of a sudden realizing it's 2 a.m. and i've been working since the morning. hmmn.

but friends' visits break up the day. the little one and i go to the beach. there are meals to be cooked and dishes to be cleaned. there are walks in between editing. we paint on the picnic table. the little one plays quietly and i take a moment to sit down and begin working again.

it's a lot right now. a whole lot of life being lived. i wouldn't trade it for anything. i am capable of this. and there's nothing better than being able to feel proud about yourself and what you're doing.

yup...a full life is a good one.

xoxo

 

it was like this

i woke up to thunder and lightning at 3 a.m. this morning.

my first thunderstorm while living on the water.

the thunder echoed all the way down the river to the ocean. the most beautiful and eerie sound i've ever heard.

i laid in bed listening to the rain hitting the windows, and i snuggled with the cats.

i awoke late to a dark room. thinking it was so early in the morning, i let myself doze.

i was surprised to find it was much later than i thought. i got up, made tea and worked in my jammies.

i'm headed out for dinner now, having spent the day drinking tea, eating chocolate, and working hard on my e-course. a very inspiring lesson that even inspired me as i was writing it. nothing could be better.

i made a new mix that i'm listening to now, while sipping a half glass of white wine, wishing for sun.

tomorrow the little one comes back and i will once again snuggle into her small familiar body, and we will giggle and smile and continue our rhythm once more.

happy tuesday, friends. xoxo

for one

the little one is off having adventures with her papa and i find myself here alone, with my fourth cup of tea and third piece of chocolate, working and working and working some more. so much work (and jobs!) to make this a possibility.

thinking about her, her smile, and her giggles, and just how much she's been chattering excitedly non-stop (i must admit, i am enjoying the mental space right now!), and how we've been doing so much together...journaling, painting, sketching, biking, running, walking, cooking, eating, exploring, laughing, and enjoying.

it's funny how life can shift so much on a daily basis. i've learned that having any type of expectations really just doesn't get me anywhere. hopes and dreams? sure. but really...being right here, right now is the most important thing. knowing that even this moment will not last, and i'll be experiencing something so entirely different and maybe even unexpected before i know it.

i think that's my lesson right now...one that i am so desperately trying to learn and master. no expectations...just living right now in whatever this moment brings. knowing it is perfect, and the next moment will be perfect too, because that's exactly what i'm supposed to be doing.

yup. i think that's it. for now anyway...

stuff

"stuff" from the last few days. vacation week was jam packed full of adventure, and unfortunately for you, i have grown fond of carrying my light and compact film camera around instead of the digital one. so i have 6 rolls of film waiting to be developed when i finally get money. so for now, images of our adventures will have to wait, but they find their way here soon...i hope! here are some shots from home in the meantime...

a coffee kind of morning.

breakfast with my girl. bagel with homemade jelly for her, and two fried eggs and tea for me.

some days are easier than others....

she is loving this horse print above the bed.

i've been doodling. a lot. and painting too. will show more soon...

her new art wall.



and lastly...a tulip she picked for me while i was out on a run. what a special surprise upon returning. she's a sweet one, that girl...

 

hope you are all enjoying your week, my friends! what music are you all listening to? i need some new tunes!

yesterdays and tomorrows

do you ever notice that when you're having a rough time, or you think you just want the day to end so you can make no more mistakes or say the wrong things or think about just how not that great you are, and then there is one thing...one single little thing...that turns it all around? that makes the rest of the day melt away and disappear and become nothing. when you realize the suffering you just put yourself through because of your damn thoughts was just so not worth it, and how absolutely ridiculous it was to entertain such thoughts in the first place?

well, that's been my week, friends. ups and downs. highs and lows. figuring this life thing out. it's all such an interesting process. i love observing it. i love witnessing it all. i love feeling it all. even when it's hard.

i remember a particularly lonely night, with no little one here, when i realized just how different everything is. and i became a bit overwhelmed by it as i sat at the computer working. then i looked over and saw this rose geranium my friend had spent the winter rooting for me, and i just planted it in that pot finally. and the sunset light was just pouring over it and through the leaves. it looked gorgeous. and then i remembered that i'm surrounded by so much awesomeness.

and thank goodness i woke up in a different place after that. i woke up ready to get on with it all. to leave a lot behind and dive into the now. i was excited. i'm fully prepared to sink back into the trap of all the yesterdays, but i feel like i'm a little more prepared to get myself out quicker now.

and i guess, that's all we can ever do. knowing that tomorrow will come and we take it as it is. we are just grateful it is there, and when it's done we can find comfort in knowing the next day will come, and the next, and the next. it's like a never-ending gift. pretty awesome.

so that's where i've been, my friends. how about you? xoxo

it's like this

oh, you all. you all have been through so many manifestations of this space here. and maybe i lost some of you along the way, but i do know there are many of you still here. and i believe that the more real i get with myself in this space, the more i connect with others feeling the same. and i attract readers with a similar energy, or something here resonates with them and they know they are meant to be here, reading all i have to say.

there has been a shift over the past couple of years to something more real. more honest. more open. and i want to continue with that. because life is about learning and growing, and heck...i'm not afraid to admit that! and if someone finds what i have to say inspiring and it helps them on their own journey, then well...that's all i could really ask for.

last night i got thinking. i was thinking about everything. contemplating life and what it's about. i was sitting on the couch journaling. and i was feeling rather sad. i stopped for a moment and posted here...that picture where i may look sleepy, but really i was just thinking. and i should have said more, but i was too tired at that point to really write anything. so here i am now.

i thought all through the night (it was a very restless sleep) and i woke at an early 6 a.m. to the sun slowly rising through the big window in the bedroom. i laid there in bed for an hour, thinking. i slept with my camera on the next pillow in hopes of catching that sunrise for a project i'm working on. and i did. i took some pictures without even moving my head from the pillow. and i stayed there thinking some more about life and what it's about. and then i went on a long run and thought some more.

and i thought that maybe, just maybe, there is a way to shift things. to take a situation and make it different. to observe your immediate reactions and behaviors which have been a certain way your entire life and change them. notice them. create an awareness around them that is so constant that there is no way to continue thinking in a certain way. and that's kind of liberating to recognize that.

i believe i'll never stop growing and learning and changing. i feel like a river...just flowing around bends and curves and along straight stretches to wherever it takes me. i don't argue with it. i just go with it. there are no wrong turns, it all just takes you exactly where you are meant to go.

and that's what i thought about today, and where i've arrived tonight.

thanks for listening, friends. xoxo

crazy

it's been a long day.
a good one, but busy and long.
and now it's over.
i'm listening to lana del ray on pandora
and catching up with clients
and thinking about eating some chocolate
and going through photos i took today
and thinking about watching a grey's anatomy on hulu
and then bed.
but it's only 10, and i've come to learn that living alone i tend to stay up until 1-2 a.m. and rise at an early 6 a.m.
and i keep going all day, on 4 cups of tea, perfectly happy and content with it all.
how crazy life can be. i love it.

also, find me here this month. xoxo

a day

a lot happens in a day!...

breakfast dishes alone. black tea and two fried eggs for me, hot rice porridge for her with honey and almond milk and rose tea.

i got these new stackable glasses at a local shop that are perfect for our open shelves and limited storage space.

i've been collecting antique mismatched silverware while out and about.

lunch is often joined by others. i love making a big salad or fried rice. brocolli is always on my lunch menu. and i love a simple platter of cheese and crackers. i've been drinking tons of water throughout the day...trying to offset my tea consumption.

i love the light in the evening. i was working on the computer and looked over to see this. beautiful.

my boys. i love my boys. and apparently they really love each other...see the hug? they spoon and embrace all the time. i love it.

i love watching the shadows as i cook dinner. they seem to capture my movement perfectly.

and the little one is so very content in our new space. she is really loving it all. i was cooking for over an hour tonight and she was happily playing right next to me on the floor.

 

that's just about what our day looks like. how about yours?! xoxo

hello.

i've been looking around, noticing. do you ever do that?

noticing so many things. in just two rooms, we have created a home. we are settled in and happy and feel like we have all the space in the world. we don't need much to be happy. in fact, we need nothing at all because i've come to know that happiness is inside me, and well...that can never be taken away. i'm pretty sure the little one is learning this too. we are a good team, she and i.

my favorite time of day is the quiet time in between work and dinner. where i sit and journal at the table, listening to some Nina Simone, sometimes sipping a glass of wine, watching the sun set and waiting for the dinner guests to arrive. (there are always dinner guests. always.)

last night i was journaling and staring at the page before me filling up with ink, and suddenly the page turned from ivory to gold to pink to orange. it was the most beautiful thing i've ever seen...the sun was setting and just changing and morphing into something completely different every second.

and i began to think about life and how it does the same. things change, shift, morph, evolve. it's what we can count on. it's what makes me so excited about life. i'm an incredibly open person...i think i have a gift of living wide open. i experience everything deeply and fully. i take it all in and acknowledge it; good and bad. and i am grateful for it all. i do not easily get bogged down. i think of everything as a gift. every single thing in life can teach us something if we let it. if we are open to it.

i've been noticing this all. noticing the way the light changes throughout the day, how two rooms can feel so very big, how my awareness can just keep continuing to grow, how my gratitude for everything is so immense that i can't help but love everyday, how i get to witness the little one growing into herself and feeling so very good about where we are.

i'm noticing this change. this shift that feels so very significant to me in my life right now. i can see it everywhere...in my attitude, my gratitude, my awareness, and even my phsyical body. i feel and even look different now. things are changing. and change is hard, but to me hard means good. you push through, you grow, you come out the other side so much more capable than you ever thought you could be.

and even right now, in this very moment, i am noticing how i sat down to simply write about a beautiful sunset, and look what came out. it's all so interesting and wonderful, isn't it?

happy tuesday, friends. thanks for being here. xoxo

Equinox

Happy Spring!! Just some photos from the last few days. We are enjoying our new wee space here, the wonderful light all day long, and the amazing view of the river.

We've had a stretch of amazingly warm weather...temps in the 80's, which means shorts and sandals, open windows, staying out late to ride bikes and scooter through town, skipping rocks in the river and hunting for heart rocks and sea glass. It's just been unbelievable. What a wonderful way to welcome spring!

Hope you are enjoying your week. What did you do to celebrate the return of spring?

Happy Equinox!!

Happenings

 Thanks to all who entered the Polarn O. Pyret giveaway! Random.org chose #77...

andrea said...

always hunting for the right gear here! thanks for the offer :)

Andrea...you didn't include your e-mail, so please e-mail me at ewallacephoto(@)gmail.com and I'll hook you up with Polarn! Congrats!

 

 

Just some happenings from the past few days...

 

• dinner with friends (taco night ROCKS!)
• necklaces from a reader
• thank you letter writing to said reader
• pretending to be a cat in the studio
• an actual cat snoozing in the studio
• daylight savings time love and the sunset streaming through the window
• art in the morning

Hope you all had a good weekend! xo

studio lunch

lunch with some creative peeps. it was yummy.

i sure am enjoying this view. it's just gorgeous. the sunset last night was beyond amazing.

monday i had the pleasure of shooting and modeling Luksin's spring line. it was a beautiful, sunny and warm day. thank goodness, because we had to strip down to barefeet at the beach! check out some of the photos here.

also, i had the pleasure of photographing some beautiful jewelry from the Future Pearl Co. Check out their site to see some of the photos and their gorgeous work!

it's a rainy overcast day here today. it's a nice excuse to hunker down inside with some tea and catch up on a lot of work.

i'm looking forward to doing some more creative shoots in the coming weeks!

what are you up to today?

 

 

around

it's been fun getting to know the light in this new space. it's beautiful...all times of the day.

late afternoon is my favorite. watching the sun set, lighting the candles around the house, making dinner, and getting ready for a cozy evening. the little one and i are settling in and doing well.

i adore this space. i am feeling so capable, brave, strong, and full of life. i am excited about moving forward, discovering new things about myself and life. we are blessed with generous and loving friends. i am thankful for every bit of my life right now.

here's a little glimpse of what's new. my friends call it our "fairy house"...

gratitude

you have no idea just how much each and every one of your comments made me feel so loved and supported. you all are wonderful, caring, generous people. thank you for being here.

this transition has been very hard on all of us. but the little one and i are settling in okay, feeling somewhat challenged by our two room apartment with its limitations, but we are making the best of it. i happen to absolutely adore it! and you are right...it's a tricky thing writing about personal topics on a space like this. i feel that because i tend to focus on the simple things of our days, you often don't see the whole picture. and while i can tell you that i have an inner happiness and strength that i feel is always there through it all, it doesn't mean some things aren't hard. so many of you, i'm sure, found this all to be such a shock. and that's okay. sasa and i adore each other, have so much love for one another, but we are on different paths and we support that need for us as individuals to follow those paths.

many of you asked if we need anything. we are mostly set, and i feel overwhelmingly grateful for those of you who even thought to ask. money is tight, and being self-employed means a somewhat sporatic income. i have been thinking about making an e-book available for download about photography basics and creative photography tips. would that interest anyone? if so, i will start working on it.

and again, thank you. i really wish i could invite each and every one of you over for a cup of tea or a glass of wine. you're support and kind words continue to inspire and amaze me. i am so very lucky, indeed.

xoxo

 

 

Making Do

hello friends.

it's been a while, eh?

there have been big changes over here. not even sure how to say any of this.

but i just will. the little one and i are moving on...we are now situated in our own space. we are happy and excited about the future. so many doors are already opening and i'm grateful for that. friends are taking care of us so very well...the support is overwhelming.

and this is my path. this is exactly where i should be and there's no arguing that. and i'm okay with it. i can see what a gift everything has been and continues to be.

i am reminded of this quote...

"And I find that each time that you fall, you're just becoming who you are."

-Mainstay

as i sit at the kitchen table, sipping tea and looking out over the river (yes! beautiful river views!), i feel so very happy and at peace. i am home.

 

i'll get back to regular posting soon! hope you are all well, my friends!

full

our life is so very full these days. so very full. it's all i can do to just take a few simple breaths, click the shutter a few times at the beauty around me, and find some simple words for this space.

but i wanted to pass on some things i'm loving:

• Oh Land
• Already Yours
• this song and video is the sweetest
• look for me in the Pop Up Shop in a week! If you know anyone who's getting married, let them know! Major discount on my wedding packages!
• i'm loving Closet Visit
• i want these bangles
• loving Black Crane clothing
• oh, how i wish i could afford these for summer
• i saw this in person...it is fabulous.

What are you loving this week?

chasing light

i spent the morning chasing light around the house. i've never experienced a Maine winter quite like this. so warm. i've been wearing my tweed blazers, scarf around my neck, and newsboy cap when walking around town, just soaking up the sunlight. i don't mind the lack of snow, or the warm temperatures.

today, walking through town i smelled grass. green growing grass. like spring. and i stopped, took a deep breath, smiled, and walked on. i thought about how sweet it smelled and how exciting the changing of the seasons are...especially coming out of the hibernation of winter. it's like a brand new start every year to look forward to.

for now, i am enjoying the sun streaming through the windows, reaching into corners and changing as the day progresses. there's nothing more beautiful than light...

And, I'm in Love

Had my first painting lesson yesterday with Lari. It was amazing and wonderful and I had so much fun. I decided to work on a few collages for an upcoming art night. And I finished three, plus started two other acrylics!

I'm smitten with painting. Absolutely love it. Can't wait to do more. Next week I'm headed to the big city for some supplies!

Thanks Lari!!

 

What are you all working on this week?