Bluebirdbaby

Eyes Open // Creative Photography e-course

Hello everyone! I'm really excited to announce my first creative photography 6 week e-course! This course has been designed for people with an interest in photography who want to become more comfortable and familiar with their cameras, and learn how to take their photography in a creative direction. Eyes Open is about living your creative life with more awareness...transferring that awareness into your photography to be able to artistically document everyday life in a way that is unique to you and your eye!

Topics will include:

• camera and photography basics
• training the eye creatively
• shooting in natural light
• editing basics using an online editing software program available to everyone for free
• guest photography posters who will discuss their shooting style and reflect on elements discussed in this course
• creative living through photography, art, journaling, inspiration boards
• how to put more of you into your photographs; letting your personal style shine
• creating an awareness throughout your day and keeping your Eyes Open!
• calling yourself an artist
• behind the scenes on a portrait shoot

Weekly Lessons will make up this course. Each week will be divided into different elements. These will include:

• Main lesson
• Photo Challenge
• Video
• Guest post from an inspiring photographer

Participants in this course will be invited to discuss the lessons, their experiences, etc. by commenting on the specific posts. Questions can be asked in the Facebook group. A Flickr group will be available for uploading pictures to share with other participants and for critique.

But most of all, we will have fun together exploring creative photography!

Registration opens TODAY! The course will begin June 25th! The lessons will be available to participants at their convenience throughout the 6 week course.

To purchase the Eyes Open // 6 week creative photography e-course, click "add to cart"

 

Sign up for the mailing list to receive news and updates on the course here!

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a series

a few photos from a hilltop on the east end. we had a great date with my mama. xoxo

juliana

a shoot for my personal portfolio. check it out over here...

enjoy!!

absence

Phew! Sorry for the abense my friends! Life has been, well....life. Busy and full and lovely and crazy and everything in between. Sometimes the weeks fly by and the one simple thing I've been meaning to do gets undone; like posting here. I miss you all! And I miss being in this space.

Life has been very full. Full of good food, get togethers, friends, creating, work (and lots of it), mothering, partnering, and trying to breathe in the midst of it all.

This past weekend, the little one and I had an afternoon in the big city with our friends. My assistant and I are cooking up something goooood with a certain talented someone in the big city after the holidays. So we took a couple of hours to brainstorm and check out some spaces. After we walked around the city taking some shots for a few minutes. Maria snapped these of the little one and I. I adore them. Love them. I hardly ever have photos of us together. It means so much.

And, oh my...how she has grown. I just started photographing her in a very different way. She is no longer this cute little toddler. She's matured. She's got emotions behind those eyes and expressions. It's amazing to witness and even more amazing to capture. She's the best model anyone could ever ask for. She's opening up more to the camera too. I can't wait to see where it takes us....

How are you all? I hope you are all well and enjoying life. I'll be back soon...promise.

slow

02 Hang On Sloopy

thanks for your sweet comments about sasa's pop. it really made me feel a whole lot better reading every single one of them. you guys are the greatest.

i'm wrapping up an 8 hour day on the computer designing albums, sending in submissions, and chatting with clients, when i came across this picture....

one day after the death of sasa's pop, i headed out for my first shoot for a magazine.
after a long drive, the writer and i finally arrived to a cabin full of sweet guys.
an hour later we found ourselves sitting around the fire, singing every country song we could remember, me on the guitar, another guy on the banjo.
the writer snapped this of me. i kinda love it. we were singing "hang on sloopy" and singing like a bunch of crazy people. play the tune above and you can hear it. (not our version!)
it was a sweet time up there, in the maine woods.

i'm having one of those days where i feel so very grateful for everything. for my work, my love, my friends, my home, my family...sometimes it just overwhelms me with how wonderful it all is. even despite the challenges, there is just so much good there. it's all so much sometimes i think my heart might burst...literally. have you ever felt that? you get this incredibly light feeling, where you feel like your heart will jump out of your chest and float up into the sky like a balloon and you'll be left gazing at it in amazement.

it's just one of those days. what are you feeling grateful for today?

b&w

More shots from the winter. This was with expired b&w film. I love the grain. I just dropped my film camera off today for some repairs. It's been out of commission since the spring. I did just buy myself a "new" one on ebay. Waiting for that to arrive anyday now...

I've had a super busy week of work. I'm hoping to get another wedding preview up tomorrow, and then another a couple of days after that. Watch for those! They are super sweet weddings.

Sasa has been cooking and cleaning and doing so much around the house to make up for my domestic absence during this heavy workload period. He just fed me homemade garden tomato soup with chard and lentils, and some summer squash fries. Yum. He's the best!

We're also gearing up for the little one's upcoming birthday, then a camping trip, and then my birthday after that. I can tell September is going to pass us by in a wink...

And, oh my...school starts on Tuesday for the little one. Three half days a week. Many of you have asked about it...it's a great new school starting up in the area focusing on "place-based education." Read more here! I feel so fortunate that the little one has this opportunity!

Happy midweek, my friends! xoxo

film

This is film I shot last winter. Color slide film that I couldn't find anyone to develop until recently.

I adore film. I got a bunch of medium format stuff back from weddings this summer and I am in love. It makes me want to go film full time. I wonder how my wedding clients would feel about that?!

Hope you are having a peaceful weekend.

 

just had to share...

I finished the preview for the California wedding tonight. I am so excited about it. I just had to share...

We're Home

We're finally home, unpacking, checking e-mails (all 220 of them), pulling weeds in the garden, planting more fall crops, and really, really, really missing California. We loved it out there. I've decided that even after all the bad rap Oakland gets, the north end near Berkeley is the absolute best. It was actually hard coming home to Maine, which is saying a lot because I love Maine so. We're thinking a second home in California?!!

I have loads of photos to upload. The wedding was breathtaking...couldn't have asked for a better location or better models! We loved every minute of our trip, from the day long drive up the coast through Big Sur (oh my...beautiful!), to taking the Bart to SF, to Chinatown, to hanging out at our favorite coffee bar in the mornings, and to totally cheating on my Paleo diet. (I did pay for it however...I walked around with a tummy ache the whole time, but boy...it was worth it!!)

We seriously can't wait to go back. Sasa's brother and wife were such wonderful hostesses. I hope they don't mind frequent visitors....

Here are some pics I captured with my iPhone...more "real" photos to follow!

California, Here We Come!

 

Just some favorites from a couple of weddings I've shot recently. Mosey on over to here to see more!

Also, we are flying out to California in August to shoot a wedding. Anyone have any must-see's or must-do's we should add to our list while we're out there? We'll be staying in Oakland and traveling down to Los Olivos for the big day. So anywhere around those places would be awesome!

And I have one more slot for a family shoot if anyone is interested! Please e-mail me at erin@alovesupremephoto.com!

I'll be back with more later! Happy Tuesday!

hello and goodbye

in the midst of

running around getting six bags of camera gear ready,

rounding up directions, phone numbers, last minute details, and making lists,

searching for the two cords that will actually make my lighting work (kind of important!),

emptying camera cards, charging batteries, checking and double checking lenses,

and trying to find enough dressy yet "i can still bend over reeaally far or lay upside down on the ground" clothes for two nights...

 

i am here to say hello! and goodbye! headed three states over for a wedding until Sunday night. until then, admire our inspirational sidewalk art, the little one's super sweet grown-up looking face, and hope for June weather that doesn't have us wearing long pants and fleece jackets!

oh, and thanks for all the coop love! can't wait to find the time to check out yours! xoxo

the big.massivelyexciting.crazywonderful.superawesome news!

Okay. So...yea. I'm NOT pregnant. The big news is I've spent the last 5 months designing a new site and blog, rebranding myself, new logos and marketing materials, working with a kick-butt graphic designer, marketing myself as a "destination photographer", and getting everything ready for the launch which is NOW! Phew! It feels so good.

You will notice a name change. Yes, another one. This one is here to stay. I won't go into why I decided to change this stage in the game, but "a love supreme" is me. Totally and 100% completely me. Sasa chose the name and after a few days of thinking about it, it really grew on me and I knew it was it! And it's a John Coltrane album you know. (A really good one.)

I've started advertising on new sites geared towards DIY-ers and handmades and quirky couples and creative, artistic people and it's all coming together. I am psyched. I love this work. I love doing this and feel so fortunate that it's possible for me.

 

Owning a business is a lot of work. It's been a rough road. It's seasonal, especially here in Maine. Winter is tight and oh so hard. But I have put every intention out there to the universe that this is going to be awesome and amazing and such an incredible journey. And I feel very lucky for it all.

I'll be working with an assistant (currently still accepting portfolios) for all weddings. So if you're interested, send me an e-mail (ewallacephoto@gmail.com...until my new one is up and running in the next few days!).

Also, my online one-on-one lessons will be available soon. I am finishing up the informational booklet. If you are interested...please e-mail me. And for those of you who already have, you will be receiving some information shortly!

I also created a Q&A on Formspring where you can ask me questions (photography related or otherwise!) and you can find that here!

So that's my news. I'm beyond giddy to share with you! It's been so much work and so much love.

Please visit the new website here.

Please visit my new blog here (and leave some comments/blog love!!)

I'm on Facebook here.

I'm on Twitter here.

Please visit the unbelievably creative and talented Sarah's website here. (Um, she's amazing and lovely and wonderful and I would give her a big smooch if she didn't live on the other side of the country!)

So that's my awesome news!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! Happy Monday!

 

Film

More from the roll in November. Those chickens...so sweet.

I just bought a pound of dried elderberries. I'm DONE being sick. Take that cold and flu season! Ha!

film :: around the house

More from that roll of expired film.

Thanks for all your well wishes for Fly. He is doing better today with some help from magic pills. We know his time with us is limited still, but just seeing the light back in his eyes is so comforting. Your comments mean the world. xoxo.

A Holiday Giveaway

Now it's my turn for a giveaway!!

I am so very thankful for all of YOU! Your comments mean the world to me and I am so grateful for each and every one of them.

I compiled some of my favorite prints from the past few years. The famous "pinecone" print, my seasonal set of 6 4x6 winter prints, 8 holiday cards with envelopes, and three of my favorite 5x7s.

All you have to do to enter is tell me what your favorite holiday tradition is (and if you don't have one, what's your favorite thing about the holidays?) and leave a comment by tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5 P.M. EST. Yay!

Happy holidays, my lovely readers!

film

 

What a weekend.

Sleigh rides. Christmas trees. Blessing Ways. Visits from family. Latkes. Tree trimming. Christmas music. Crafting.

Oh, it was all so marvelous.

I'm loving my film camera, although I do believe I need to get the lens adjusted. The focus is a wee bit off, but I still love the results. These photos were taken in November on a hike. The colors make me happy.

I'm finally back on flickr (yay!), so I'll be around sharing more soon!

Happy Weekend!

 

Black Friday Rockin' Sale

Check it out!

Rad Monday Links and an Under My Umbrella Couple

 

Why, hello there! It's been awhile, huh? Yea...we've been busy and lots of stuff has been going on. Sorry to be MIA, but I'm back for some super late Monday links which is all that really matters!

I am so swamped with work, which is awesome but it means every "free" second I have I am working. Shoots on the weekends, meetings, editing into the wee hours of the morning. It's exhausting balancing all of this, but I am ever so grateful for every bit of it! I have a great Thanksgiving craft post coming up tomorrow for you, so check back for that!

Above are a couple of photos from a super awesome shoot my assistant and I had over the weekend. You really, definitely, truly must check out their full preview here.

My link list is going to be short and sweet tonight. It's late and I'm beat!

• Sasa's music pick for the week is Glee's "Umbrella" which inspired the umbrella pic in my recent shoot!
• need this for two Super 8 movie cameras I scored for $1 (box, manual and all!) at a thrift shop recently
• bacon makes everything better. for sure.
• gotta love doilies
• so excited about shooting in the snow. anyone want a winter shoot??! it will be awesomely magical, i promise you!
• ah, film. i'm on my second role of color slides. i even shot some at the shoot yesterday.
• love
• i think after all the late nights, i deserve this
• sasa's waiting for me with a glass of wine, some good music, and a shoulder rub. um, he rocks. have i mentioned that lately?

Happy Monday!! xoxo.

Two Love Birds Preview

Oh, these two. I really, honestly, truly can't describe how incredibly sweet and loving they are. They took the train up from Boston where they live and we met in Portland for the shoot.

At the beginning of the shoot I said my usual words about feeling awkward in front of the camera, and told them just to pretend I'm not even there. Well, these two just settled in with each other immediately. You could tell their comfort with each other was extraordinary. They talked and talked, laughed, kissed, joked, and had a blast. And their photos show it! Their love is so inspiring.

One of my favorite parts of this shoot was a series I took in front of a wall covered in grape vines. They started telling me how they met...a hip-hop bar in Ireland (which Rachel said, "Well, that should tell you how good the hip-hop was!"). Matt said he was there with a friend and in walked Rachel. He turned to his friend said, "I'm going to marry that girl." And he did. That was five years ago and these two haven't lost any of that love.

You two...you ROCK. Big time. Thanks for the amazing afternoon. Enjoy your preview...(bigger here)

Mike and Marie :: Engagement Shoot :: freya photography

I got a call last week from a Mike Garrard. I almost didn't take the call because it was a foreign number, and I thought for sure it was some kind of mistake. But I picked up, and boy was I glad I did! It was Mike, from the UK, asking if I could shoot an engagement session for he and his fiance while they were in Maine for a few days. I was honored that he asked me and so very excited for the shoot!

So we met in the rain, in Portland, on Sunday afternoon. We walked around the city, finding little nooks and using some of the awesome locations I found during my last Portland shoot. I came away with some great shots. The rain soaked my camera, and I gave up the idea of switching lenses, and stuck with just one the whole time :: my 30mm 1.4f.

After the shoot, we warmed up with some good conversation and hot chocolate. Mike was voted Britian's #1 wedding photographer of 2009, teaches classes, and has been shooting for 7 years. He was so humble and so full of knowledge. It was such a pleasure chatting photography with him. Marie was so sweet putting up with our photo chat!

Here's a glimpse of the shoot (more here!). Aren't they amazing together? Marie was such a super awesome model (she is so beautiful!), and Mike did an amazing job on the other side of the camera! Thanks you two...it was such a pleasure. I hope we hook up again in the near future!!

Check out Mike's website here.

Cheers!

 

Their reflection in the Nickelodeon Theater window.

Wedding Preview Up!

(A total accident. Over exposed. But quite possibly my favorite shot from the day.)

Just had to add this....Go view their awesome wedding here!

Rhea and Ollie

On top of Cadillac Mountain. More to follow tomorrow.

NYC, Here I Come Again!

So, it looks like I will be heading to NYC again for the weekend of November 13th with my second shooter to take awesomely creative photos of YOU!

We have two shoots possibly booked that we are just awaiting confirmation, and have openings for three more! So please e-mail me at erin@freyaphotography.com if you think you'd be interested.

We'd love to photograph couples in the city! And families too! An engagement shoot? Yes, please! Models, store photos...we are up for anything super funky or creative! Spread the word and the photo love!!

Happy Friday everyone! I've got a sweet friend's wedding this weekend (where I'll be a guest AND a photographer. Yipee!) and a super exciting shoot on Sunday! Yay for photos! Previews will follow...

My favorite Polaroid from NYC.  Taken with PZ600 Silver Shade. Love it. (Shot it through hanging scarves.)

Heading out on a shoot. Just stopping by to say "Happy Wednesday!" Hope you're all having a good week! x

xoxo.

one rockin' family

oh my. i can't say enough about these guys. they were the best! so much fun. hey guys...can i do this again? (and then again and again and again?!)

more on my photo blog!

Sneak Peek

Just a little teaser from an absolutely amazing family shoot over the weekend. More tomorrow...(this was inspired by the talented Max Wanger!)

Laura and Noah :: A Maine Wedding

This couple. Amazing.

This day. Amazing.

Their love. Amazing.

 

There are truly no words to describe their relationship, their love for one another, or their wedding day. So unique, so loving, so full of passion and life. It was an honor to be a part of it. Please, please, please view their full preview here.

Enjoy. xoxo.

Feet First Session 2010 :: NYC

Oh my. NYC was amazing, unbelievable, and oh so incredible. I can't wait to go back. It was beyond thrilling and my time there was way too limited. I'm planning another trip and bringing Sasa with me for sure. We're gonna shop and eat and walk and take in all the sights.

The reason for my short trip? The first Feet First Session. I signed up because I have been following OLOL and Max for a while now. It is so refreshing to see someone else in the wedding business capturing things in a unique and creative way. They are my inspiration and I felt like I couldn't pass this opportunity up. AND...it was on my birthday, which I felt was a sign from above. And a big thanks to Sasa who really urged me to do this. He is my biggest supporter and my business just wouldn't be my business without him.

We met at the Impossible Project (I have so many Polaroids from the day that I will share tomorrow...). I can't say enough about Jesse, Whitney, Max, and Margaux. They are the sweetest, most generous peeps ever. It was a pleasure meeting them and they were so inspiring.

I got so much inspiration from the session, so much knowledge, and so much motivation. I have so many new ideas and know exactly where I want to take my business. I'm beyond excited. I can't wait to get working. I can't wait to be behind my camera. I love it!

Here are some photos I captured from my brief visit. I'm planning on going back for some more photo shoots soon!

 

Freya Photography's Annual Free Photo Shoot

Hey everyone! I'm just popping in here a tad early today (don't worry...a link post will surely be in the works later!) to announce my first annual free family photo shoot just in time for the holidays! Yay! I'm so excited about this.

Fall in Maine is beautiful, and I'm offering shoots at two separate locations in October: one in southern Maine and one a little closer to home. These photos can be made into holiday cards, mini books, prints for family and friends, etc. It will be fantastic!!! I'm only accepting 10 families, so jump on this while you can! Woohoo!

If you're interested, e-mail erin@freyaphotography.com

I hope to see you there!

Fashion Shoot for Luksin Designs

There's no doubt in my mind that fashion photography is where I want to head. I have a major passion for it, but partly because of my location I'm not able to pursue it as I would like to. Enter Luksin Designs. Made, designed, and modeled by the brilliant Daria (remember that fashion show awhile back? that was her!) all right here in our little town.

I love her colors, the screenprints, and her shirts are all made by hand. She designed them all herself and sews them all herself too. They are made out of eco friendly materials like silk, organic cotton, and hemp. I love love love them all! I'm totally digging the terra cotta colored one!

We headed to a favorite field for a photo shoot for her new line. It was very exciting, even though I was battling a migraine and "day after wedding shoot hangover." We managed to get some awesome shots and I'm really pleased with the results. And it always helps tons to have a model who totally knows what she's doing! (She was pretty swell with all her poses!)

So check out her stuff. It's great! Here's a sneak peek...

Senior Shoot :: Celia

Celia is one of my good friends. We met each other through the local co-op and have had so much fun working shifts together, shopping together, chatting together, and just hanging out. She's an amazing young lady. So bright, so friendly, and so mature. It was an honor taking her senior photos. We didn't realize just how soon the sun is setting these days (it shifts so quickly!) and ended up leaving the ocean to drive to our field and realize it was almost dark! I had to bump up my ISO for the last shots to 1250, open up to a 1.4f, and tried to have really steady hands...

Soon she'll be off doing amazing things with her amazing self. Celia...just come back to visit often, okay?! I love you girl! xoxo

View more here!

Faith

Oh my. Faith. What can I say about her? She was gorgeous, amazing, the cutest thing ever, fashionable, awesome, sweet, and super good with the camera. Her mama (of Salt and Chocolate) said they were going to be in Maine for 6 days and asked me if I would be interested in a senior photo shoot for Faith. Um, YES! As soon as they got out of the car, I knew it was going to be a fun night. Faith and her mama (Mary Beth) were the cutest things ever. I had a blast photographing Faith and even got Mary Beth to join in on the fun too!

We first went to a favorite walk of mine, taking them through the Maine woods (they're from southern Cal, so this was new to them!) and then later ended up in a gorgeous field at sunset. It couldn't have been a more perfect night. And the photographs I captured? Amazing. I am in awe of Faith's beauty, her poise, and her energy. She is awesome.

Thanks you two lovely ladies. It was a pleasure to meet you both. You are two beautiful souls. xoxo

See more on my photo blog!

Ida and Travis

I love these guys so much! Ida is a dear friend of mine, and together they are well... just awesome! They tied the knot yesterday with a beautiful ceremony at the property where their house is being built, and the reception was in the town hall. It was all so gorgeous and perfect! Congrats Ida and Travis!!!

See more on my photo blog here.

Picking Berries

Oh, this family shoot was so amazing. Go check out more here!

A Family Shoot on the Coast

Go take a peek on my photo blog to see my latest shoot. These guys were awesome!

Introducing....freya photography

Well, I did it. Finally. I've been wanting to change my business name for a long time now. It was so much work. We're talking marketing materials, business cards, checks, domains, e-mails, etc. Oy! But I did it. Freya is a name close to my heart. It really speaks to me and inspires that divine feminine energy that makes me feel strong, beautiful, and graceful. You can see the changes here on my site. And go check out a shoot I did this week with six wee little cousins on my photo blog. Oh my...so darn cute!

Here's a little sneak peek...

And thank you so much for all the kitchen love! Oh my! You guys ROCK! I'm so honored you all love it. We do, for sure. It's such a pleasure cooking (or uncooking as the case may be) in that room. Nothing makes me happier right now!

Kimberly and Immel

I've been busy...very busy...

Kimberly and Immel had a beyond perfect day. Seriously...I woke up to severe thunderstorms, drove down to find the skies clearing, but it was still dark and overcast. The rain was threatening, but they decided to go for the beach ceremony anyway. The beach was gorgeous! Overcast with a light fog. Perfect for photos. Then the fog lifted and the sun came out after the wedding party pictures. The rest of the day was perfect, until my assistant and I left to drive home. We left the cozy little pocket of sunshine over the reception site and drove through torrential downpours and flash flooding. It was just crazy! So Kimberly and Immel...if weather on your wedding day is any indicator of your life together, I'd say you two are going to be basking in your own pocket of sunshine forever! I had so much fun you two...I hope you enjoy your pics!

More on my photo blog...

That Girl

Oh, that girl.

She is so amazing and wonderful and full of love.

Yesterday she found a penny on the floor. She picked it up, gave it to me and said, "Mama, make a wish!" So I did. Then she took it back and said, "I am making a wish too. Here's my wish...I wish we could be together forever and always."

Oh yes, my sweet little one. We will. Because we are always in each other's hearts. Forever and always.

I love you.

xoxo

Ashley and Ebben Engagement Shoot

Just a sneak peek at this super cute couple (more on my photo blog). It was so much fun using the railway village for a photo shoot...lots of ideas! Thanks you two for a great afternoon. I can't wait for your wedding in July!

The Huntington Family

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet family on Monday. It was their 25th wedding anniversary and they gifted themselves with a family shoot. What a great gift! You can view more here on my other blog.

Summer?

It's certainly starting to feel like summer around here. A day of 80+ degrees meant the pool was out, the hose was on, and we were living in the sun. We spent almost the entire day in the yard washing the car, playing with friends, and going on walks. (Oh, and that is the face of a little someone who got her dress all wet, and then decided that she didn't really want to be wet at all...)

Another thing the little one and I love to do is watch all the flowers bloom. We remember from last year where all the different flowers bloom around the neighborhood. When the lupine field starts to flower, it's just gorgeous. And buttercups! They are everywhere this year! We also have some gorgeous yellow flowers in our backyard, which I think are snapdragons. We love making beautiful bouquets for our dinner table. I think our next project will be to make a map of our neighborhood, drawing in all the flowers where they grow and naming them. Oh yes...that would be fun!

Oh, I think I'm going to enjoy summer this year...extreme heat or not!

The Veth Family

I had the pleasure of photographing this amazing family today. They drove up from Massachusetts and we met in the big city for some photo shoot fun. The first location was full of the most amazing trees. And the second had a great beach and a lovely hill. Their little girl was seriously the cutest thing ever. She would say something and totally crack herself up! She's someone I would want to hang out with everyday because she just made be giggle so much! She was just too funny. I had such a blast spending time with them. Thanks guys for such a lovely day! I hope we get together again soon!

The above photos are just a sampling of the hundreds I took. I am seriously thinking about designing a photography blog to share more from each session I do. I like the idea of bigger photos. I'll let you know more when it's finished...

Happy start to the week! I'll be back tomorrow with my Monday links!

thirty :: 30 days of beauty :: Us

There's no doubt about it, when it comes to beauty and people I think of someone full of life, joy, and love. And I could not pass up this last day of my 30 Days of Beauty without including the three of us together. We certainly are full of life, joy, and love!

I wake up each and every day so very, very thankful for this lovely, supportive family I have around me all the time. Sasa rocks. He's my best friend. He provides me with unwavering support and encouragement. He grounds me when I'm off doing those airy Libra things and is always assuring me that I'm right where I should be. He constantly surprises me with flowers, cards, little notes, and compliments. I have so much to thank him for. He has given me not only these wonderful things, but the courage and strength to be the person I've always wanted to be. He has taught me to love myself and nurture that tiny seed of joy that was inside me until it eventually burst open. I am so happy to have found myself. I am so happy to have my best friend by my side everyday. I love you Sasa!

And the little one...oh, I've said it all before, but I'll say it all again. She rocks too! She is the best little person I've ever known. She is smart, funny, and oh so compassionate. Her beauty is so evident, inside and out. People have always remarked about her energy. As a baby, she did not like being around people in public. But when she hit 10 months, that all changed. I started bringing her out, showing her the world and the wonderful people in it. I encouraged her connect with people, and she hasn't stopped since. I love how she still waves to strangers passing in cars, how she says "hi!" to everyone we walk by, how she has built a wonderful community of people around her, and how she opens her heart to everyone she meets. And the moments we have together are so special and so full of love and her cuteness...I wouldn't trade them for the world.

And the three of us together? We make quite a team. We know how to have fun. We know how to giggle until our bellies hurt. We know how to live a life of creativity, love, and joy. There are so many moments of each day that I want to remember forever. Those moments that instantly fill my heart with joy and I swear that my life is perfect. This is what I want. Three people who enjoy nothing more than just being together.

So I would say that we are filled with beauty...that beauty that's all about life, joy, and love. I couldn't end this 30 Days of Beauty any other way. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Thank you to all who participated! The group will remain open. I encourage any shots of beauty to be added from here on out!

I already can't wait for my next project to start. Hmmm....what will it be?...

Cute Clients and Ch-ch-changes!

I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely couple today. I will join them on their big day in June, but for now we spent the morning getting to know each other, the ceremony site, and had fun with an engagement shoot. It was cold (it actually started snowing!) and my fingers were about to fall off. But they are just so darn cute and so very in love. Awwww! I can't wait for June!

And I took some photos for a gorgeous young lady whom I've known since she was a wee one. She's now going on to Miss Teen Maine. I was lucky enough to photograph her for the headshots they needed. She was a great model. When I asked if she minded being in front of the camera she replied with, "Oh no, not at all! And I love to smile. I'm very good at holding a smile for a long time." Just what a photographer would always love to hear!

And you'll notice some changes here. I've wanted to do some "spring cleaning" ever since I set up Sasa's blog in the winter. But, well...life got busy. Typepad has not cooperated at all today. Not at all. Grrr! So I'm sorry if you had to scroll down for five minutes before you finally got to this post! Hopefully I'll get that sorted out soon. I've added a link to my tutorials in the menu under my banners. And you'll notice my switch to IndieBound. I never felt quite right using Amazon, especially since Sasa is in the independent book business. So you'll see my book list now links to IndieBound where you'll have so much more to see. We have lots of books to share! Go check it out here! We'll be adding more too. IndieBound is a great business to support!

So here's hoping my blog will look a tad more presentable by tomorrow!

twenty five :: 30 days of beauty :: a picture, a song

Oh, the little one. She is quite something. It's hard to really describe her because she's just so darn unique and special. But a close description would be likened to Frances. You've surely read those books, yes? Frances is a smart, quick little badger who goes about her day singing all the while. The little one goes about her entire days singing. She's like a walking musical. Today she was making up songs about car rides, mangoes, chicken eggs, Kiwi cat, and restaurants, just to name a few. But one song stuck out. It wasn't a "little one original," but a song I was quite familiar with. She finished, then came into the kitchen where I was cooking lunch and said, "Mama! That was the song you used to sing to me when I was a little baby!" Be still my heart. Yes, it is. It was the song I would sing to my belly when she was the size of a lima bean. It was the song I sang as I felt her kicking inside me. It was the song I sang when I felt those first contractions before sunrise. It was the song I sang as she nursed when she was just days old. And I haven't sang it in months, but she remembers.

So tonight, after the lights went out and we were all snuggled in with her head leaning on my shoulder, I sang it again. Her eyes closed, and she nodded off to sleep with a smile on her face. Nothings beats that moment, this day, that girl, and that song. She is growing up so fast. It's a delight to watch her blossom and grow. What a lucky job I have being her mama.

And some things I am loving today ::

::Outside play with chicken accompaniment. ::

:: Happy Eggs! ::

:: Raw goat's milk ::

:: A vintage slip from the 20's I recently scored thrifting. It hangs in our room now because I love it so. ::

:: A little before dinner play on the sidewalk. We like to make the neighborhood pretty! ::

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

New Website Revealed

I am so excited about this. I'm excited about the fact that I designed it myself (with very little knowledge), put my heart and soul into it, chose images that make me smile and music that makes me joyful. It's all so very me. I revamped it after feeling like my old site needed a little pick-me-up. It was getting a bit blah. I tried changing the color, but it needed something more. I know you're all going to ask me about the music. I found it recently (I love how sweet songs like this always remind me of Sasa) and loved it so much I had to use it. It's "What I Wouldn't Do" by A Fine Frenzy. Love it.

So please go check it out! Click here and it will take you to my new site! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

thirty :: 30 day of beauty

Finding beauty at the beach is easy. There is just so much of it. We headed out tonight for a picnic at the beach because it was just so very lovely. The sun, the sand, the crashing waves, the food (yay! I'm eating again!), the company. We found two heart rocks and walked the beach hand in hand.

A lovely night full of beauty!

Thanks for all your well wishes. Tomorrow I hope to reveal my new photography site! I've been working on it for about 20 hours (straight, it seems) and I can't wait to show you all. Stay tuned!

nineteen :: A Little Peek

Jenny recently started up a little group on flickr called "Peek Into My Life." I love that idea...taking a photo that is pretty intimate, no matter how everyday-ish, that gives you just a little extra glimpse of the more normal and not so special moments of our days. So I started with this morning. Belina (my best hen friend) loves to join us for breakfast (and afternoon snacks) and this morning she was up and in the house as soon as the barn door opened. This is a typical morning...the three of us making breakfast, sitting down at the table to light our candle, say our blessing, and dig in. And, of course, Belina being a good vacuum and cleaning up all the crumbs. We try to hide the scrambled eggs from her sight...

And here is my baby. All bright eyed and ready for the day. She's such a cutie.

Happy Weekend!!

eight :: 30 Days of Beauty, Thrifting Love, and Clickin' Ladies

Oh my. What a week. What a week I had between Sals and a new antique store up the coast. I scored most of the above at Sals, all for under $10. The ladle and glasses were purchased at the new antique store for under $12. Nothing is more beautiful than the colors and vintage lines of old kitchen wares.

And if the thrifting Gods hadn't shown their light down on me enough, I ran into this beeeautiful chair mid-week. I instantly fell in love, but thought...nah, we have no place for a chair even though we need more seats! But after literally dreaming of the thing that night and waking with a rock in my stomach, I knew I had to go get it. And get it I did. And I love it. So very, very much. It's the perfect reading chair. There's nothing better than the little one and I cuddled up together reading books under a blanket. It's just perfect. It's getting a lot of use already, particularly from Kiwi. I won't lie when I say I'm on the hunt from a similar couch, although that's what I started out trying to find a year ago. Seems fitting the chair would come first. I'm hopeful a couch will follow.

And I want to shout out to the gals that joined me for my first photography workshop tonight! Hey clickn' ladies!! We had so much fun. And they were well fed. I can't wait for the next one. I made a mini information book. I think I'll offer it for sale on my BigCartel site if people are interested. What do you think?! Thanks to all who came!

I have so many beautiful pictures I'm just waiting to show you of our spring-like days. It's been just gorgeous. What did you all do this weekend?

seven :: 30 Days of Beauty

It's been warm here. Much warmer than usual. I'm trying not to be freaked out by the climate change, complete lack of new snow in Maine in February, and green grass and bulbs surfacing. So we're making the most of it. We took two long walks today, played outside all day, and spent a morning at our favorite little place. The little one has so much fun here. Everything was so beautiful :: the bare maple trees against the gray sky. The wheat colored grass and dried leaves. And when the sun came out we just soaked in all the beauty we could! 

Here's a little story about how our morning went...

The little one loves to walk. She walks and walks (sometimes gets a shoulder ride) and commands Doggy Fly to go this way and that. She requests "races" with me and Fly until we finally reach our destination. Ever so often, she stops me for a photo op. This was one of those moments. Ah, the cuteness is just too much!

Close to our destination, we had to collect leaf pets. They were put in our bag we brought along and later came home with us.

She can hardly wait for the gate and ends up climbing the fence. Mama decided to enter the proper way through the gate, despite the disapproving look from the little one. Then it was off to play chase.

A good game of chase is always followed by some ice cream. She picked this ice cream spot out when she was a bit over two years old and it's remained her spot ever since. How she can tell the difference, I have no clue. So this is her store and today she was offering "rainbow drip and vanilla chip." I ordered the rainbow drip. I highly recommend it.

Then it was off to gather sticks for our fire in the zoo. The zoo has a fence around it and the animals were getting cold, particularly the giraffe. So we gathered sticks for a good twenty minutes.

We built the most enormous fire that was sure to keep all the animals nice and toasty. She had to use some grass to get it started and seemed to have the entire thing under control, so I just sat back and supervised.

She ran and ran and ran some more. Mama chased and chased and chased some more.

We said hello to our friend the maple tree and asked when it would be tapped for maple syrup. Then we hugged the tree and thanked it for being so beautiful.

And before I knew it, in mid-chase, she announces, "Mama, let's go home and see Sasa! Okay?!" So we walked all the way home, pretty sure we were the luckiest gals to have such a beautiful little spot to come play.

That's how our morning was. How was yours?!