Bluebirdbaby

Merry Christmas!!

I'm signing off until after the holidays! I hope you all have a very merry Christmas full of warmth, love, and peace.

See you soon!

An Out Take

We shot a bunch of photos for our Christmas cards over the weekend. Apparently, my remote battery is just about dead, so many of the pictures resulted in me being not quite where I should have been. I'll share our finished card closer to the holidays. It was a fun project to put together. Above is one of the crazy out takes... at least my front half is in this one!

We're expecting a big snowstorm tomorrow (my one day off for the next two weeks) and I was planning on doing all my Christmas shopping. Oh well. Etsy to the rescue I guess! What are you currently loving on Etsy?! I've got a lot of sewing planned for tomorrow as well for the little one's big Christmas surprise (I'll share details later!) and I'm getting ready for my photography show/signing this Saturday. So it will be a busy, productive day regardless of a snowstorm!

Sasa and I are looking forward to a night spent on the couch, taking turns reading from Her Fearful Symmetry (we just started it), while I knit. I hope to have a finished knitting project to show you soon!

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Signing, Shop, and Sun

First off, I want to announce a sweet little event that will be held next Saturday (the 12th) at the Maine Coast Bookshop from noon- 2p.m. I will be there with copies of Artful Blogging, free signed prints, prints for sale, holiday cards, hopefully some handmade goodies, and Sasa, the little one, and Doggie Fly! I will be offering photography tips, answering questions, and have a sign up sheet for a beginner's photography class held at my home in February (would anyone object to the addition of wine and appetizers at this class?!). Not only that, but there are many holiday events and sales going on in town on the same day. Woohoo! So if any of you locals readers want to head out, I would love meeting you!

And I've neglected my poor photography shop too long. I finally got around to adding new prints, print sets (as seen above), and holiday cards. Go check it out! And I'll refund any readers who make a purchase 10% when you enter "bbbwinter09."

In other news, we woke up to one of the worst rain storms ever this morning. It was dark, windy, rainy, and just plain miserable. Then three hours later, the rain cleared, the sun came out, and it was a balmy 60+ degrees in December. (I have to admit that as nice as this was, I am craving snow!) We spent almost the entire afternoon on the back porch reading, playing, knitting, airing out blankets, having lunch, and visiting with the chickens. How lovely!!

I hope you all had a marvelous Thursday too! Stay tuned for a fantastic giveaway tomorrow afternoon!

The Lajoie Family

I had the pleasure of photographing this super cute, super sweet, super handsome family this afternoon. The mama is a long time blog reader, and turns out we were in the same hypnobirthing class together! It was so much fun reconnecting and I think there will be a play date in our future soon! So thank you Shannon and Chris for letting me capture some sweet moments of your family this afternoon. You all are lovely and I had such a fun time!!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Sasa and I are off to a concert in the big city tomorrow night, so my Bench Monday shot may be a little late. Until next time...

Winner and a Cute Family

Thank you all for entering the giveaway! And my, my...what questions! I have about 60 questions from all of you I will be going through tomorrow and hopefully devote a post just to answering them. Sasa has been patiently waiting for me to finish editing a photo shoot from earlier today, so I gave him the honor of choosing the winner. He chose #63 ::

I LOVE these dolls! They are adorable and seem so well crafted! Thanks for the giveaway!

Posted by:Shelley Pope :: November 07, 2009 at 12:10 PM

So Shelley, please contact me and I will get you in touch with Maria!

And I will leave you with some family shots from a shoot today. It's Christmas photo card time, so I'm booking up fast! I'm having so much fun with these super cute and sweet families!

Hope you all had a good weekend. See you here tomorrow!!

A Happy Halloween

Over the summer, the little one requested to be a "purple flower fairy" for Halloween. I ordered the wool felt for her skirt and crown back in August and started working on the whole thing in September. The tutu was so easy and required no sewing at all! The flower petal skirt took the longest because of the hand embroidery, but the crown went together rather quickly too. All in all, it was an easy costume! She had no wings because she didn't want them. The costume didn't stay on too long. For a little one with sensory issues, the "itchy" fabrics and extra layers were just not something she was into. But that's okay. It will fit for years and into the dress up box it goes!

Early this evening we headed up to the annual All Hallow's Eve walk that the local Waldorf school puts on. It was a magical evening, full of forest fairies, knights and dragons, and ended with a story about jack-o-lanterns. The children walked quietly for a quarter of a mile through the woods, completely enchanted by the magical creatures. It was just beautiful. I snapped some photos from the walk so you could "join in" too! Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!

Brady and Brendan

Another perfect day. Another lovely wedding. Another adorable couple. This wedding was so much fun! Brady and Brendan are the sweetest couple. I had a blast taking photos of the wedding party. Everyone was so fun to work with and up for anything!

As far as editing, I've noticed that I tend to slip into more of a "fall mode" once the leaves start changing. So pair the rusty browns and golden yellows with the awesome tweed suits and cowboy boots, and well...it just inspired this editing style.

Enjoy!!

The Pumpkin Festival

Over the weekend our little town was flooded with guests for our annual Pumpkin Festival. Gigantic pumpkins are rolled in, which are then carved, painted, and made into all kinds of different things. There's a parade, games, face painting, special treats, and so many fun things to celebrate the arrival of fall. So our weekend was full of celebrating!

I hope to have some wedding photos to share with you soon! It was a fabulous wedding, with an extra fabulous couple, on a pretty darn fabulous farm. Doesn't get any better than that!!

Enjoy the start to your week!

Our Weekend

Our weekend kinda went like this ::

It was awesome, fun, busy, crazy, silly, full of love and laughter, and it's coming to an end. I have so many pictures to share, so many things to say, but I've just finished shooting a 7+ hour wedding and my body and mind are exhausted, so it will all have to wait. But I couldn't resist these cute pictures of the little one!

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend! I hope to share more this coming week!

30 Days of Happiness :: More Wedding Love

I shot another wedding this weekend. I just love, love, love photography. And I just love, love, love being able to capture all the love and excitement between two people. This couple had a very lovely traditional wedding, with so many personal touches and flares to express their values and love for one another. It was lovely and I was so honored to be a part of their special day!

Thanks Kyle and Angie!! May your life together be full of sweetness and joy!

30 Days of Happiness :: Evening Play

One of my favorite times of the day is when the three of us are together, after dinner, fully engaged in whatever activity the little one has going. One night we had a bookshop up and running, complete with real money, "shelves" of books, a cash register, a very helpful tiny tot who recommended all the best books for our needs, and even cloth bags to bring our loot home in. Let me tell you...she is a very good sales person. You can not leave the store without spending at least ten dollars!

Tonight we colored on the sidewalk. She insisted I draw a house, a car, a bicycle, a sun, a doggy Fly, a Kiwi cat, a chicken, an Elisabeth, and of course a Mama and Sasa. Our front sidewalk is pretty darn colorful right now. I would even call it a work of art! I hope it makes people happy as they walk by.

And here is something else that is making me happy...I get to share more pictures from my senior shoot with you! Enjoy!!

30 Days of Happiness :: Photo Shoot

I had the pleasure of doing my first senior portrait shoot for a co-worker's daughter. It was a really great experience. I first took her to the coast by Pemaquid Lighthouse where we got some great shots on the rocks with the ocean in the background. After that, we headed to a field at sunset. I'm so thrilled with the shots I got. I came home and spent the next three hours editing.
She was a fantastic model...so beautiful and so, so lovely! She made my job look very easy. I hope to share more shots soon. I forgot to ask if she was comfortable with me using them in this space, so I've used a few that aren't very personal. Hopefully you'll have the chance to view more soon!

But I've learned that I really, really love being behind the camera. I love the whole process: I love capturing the image, I love editing the image, and I really love showing them the finished product. And I love capturing someone in such a beautiful moment. It really makes my heart sing. And today there were many beautiful moments, so I am a very happy gal!

I hope your day was wonderful too!

A Little Bit More...

I just wanted to share some more photos from the wedding I shot last week. Laura and Mike were good sports...great sports actually! It was like they were made for the camera. These two could pose and smile for a good two hours and look completely natural doing it the entire time. I mean really...I never thought that was possible!

But here they are in all their glory. And just in case you were wondering, this won't turn into a photography blog. Promise. But...photography is what I'm spending most of my time doing, so be prepared for more weddings and photo shoot glimpses in the future!

Oh, and for anyone getting married soon, I would highly recommend doing what Laura and Mike did. After the ceremony, just the two of them headed to a bunch of their favorite locations and we spent a couple of hours shooting. Such wonderful photos to have and what a fun memory!

A Perfect Day

Been busy with weddings (and a fantabulous time shooting with this lovely mama), trips to the big city, swimming (four times in two days?!), editing photos, catching up on life and all its "to-dos", working at the co-op, and trying so desperately to find time to relax.
 And, of course, there's always catching up in this space here. Tyepad has been acting up with comments lately and I haven't been receiving them in my inbox for a few days. I'll have to reply directly in the comments themselves until it's fixed.

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend! Sasa and I are looking forward to another Bench Monday tomorrow. See you then...

Fairy Houses and Flowers

Fairies love to hang out where lots of beautiful flowers grow. In fact, they use flowers for all sorts of things: hats, cushions, soups, tea, and tutus. So where there are lots of flowers, you can be sure that they are close by. Fairies also let honeybees know where all the beautiful flowers are. That way, more flowers can grow and fairies get yummy honey in return.

Sometimes, when big people realize that fairies are so important to beautiful flower gardens, they put on big festivals for them. At these festivals, there are many ways to honor the fairies. Such as dancing, painting, fairy costumes, and building houses for them.

The fairies love when the children build them houses. They usually have such a hard time lugging all the branches, bark, and pine cones from the deep forests to where they want to build their village. So when the children help out, the fairies reward them with wonderful berries and beautiful flowers.

Sometimes, a child will get a fairy house just right. With such a perfect house, a fairy will move right in before the child is finished building it! Sometimes the child just knows what a fairy loves. A swing makes them so excited that they start to clap from behind the trees as they watch the swing being built. And when the child adds a walkway and yard complete with table and chairs, they all start cheering from under their toadstools and flower hats.  When the house is finally finished, and the child leaves it behind for the fairies, sometimes you can see the fairies, with their luggage made from maple leaves and birch bark, walking through the ferns on their way to the new house. In return, they reward the child with patch full of yummy blueberries.

And the child will be so pleased that they built a house a fairy family will live in, that they will smile and giggle as blueberry juice drips down their chin. The child will run to their family and excitedly tell the story of how wonderful it is to be amongst the fairies for a day.

And the family will feel exactly the same way.

Winners (and some cuteness!)

Thanks for all the Bearkat love! Gosh, I had no idea just how many people were on the search for some good music. I'm so glad I could put Katy's work out there. She's really amazing! So...without further ado, my random number generator (Sasa) picked three winners. He chose numbers 16, 69, and 148 ::

# 16 ::

I'm always looking for new indie folk/rock!

Posted by: Ms.Cleaver | July 17, 2009 at 10:37 AM

#69

My goodness! She's excellent! I would LOVE her CD.

Posted by: Kelly | July 17, 2009 at 04:59 PM

#148

Ooh, fun! I could use some new summer tunes. Fun give-away!

Posted by: megbrothers | July 19, 2009 at 01:08 PM

So ladies...please send me an e-mail and I'll get your Bearkat goodness in the mail to you! Thanks to all who entered. Stay tuned for next Friday's super awesome giveaway!

And because I couldn't let myself post without photos, here is my little fish, enjoying the cool lake on a warm day. She is quite the swimmer and loves to be in the water. Luckily, we're five minutes from a beautiful lake with a great little beach. So enjoy my little fish/model, doing what she does best: enjoying life.

Enjoy the start to your week!

It's Monday...

Another installment for Bench Monday (HBM!!), this time en route on our nightly walk to "frow wocks in da wader" and on Sasa's "favorite ever bench."

Speaking of Sasa, he'd like to thank y'all for your lovely and sweet comments on his latest post. He says "you all are wonderful!"

This week is a busy one for us...hopefully I'll find time for this space here to share some bits and pieces. Enjoy the start to your week!

Tamara and Alex (Indulge me for just a bit...)

I had the pleasure of photographing a wedding for my friend and coworker this past weekend. Tamara and Alex are such an amazing couple. Truly amazing. The love they have for each other is so natural and you can't help but go "awwww!" when you see them snuggling or holding hands. I tell you...it's hard taking pictures with tears in your eyes!

They were totally up for anything I suggested and I am thrilled with the shots I got. I wasn't afraid to get down and dirty. I wasn't afraid to look silly by laying on the ground with my camera pointing up towards the sun. I just tried everything. And boy...I'm so glad I did! Also, I'm trying some new editing techniques and am really liking what I've found. I've only imported 50 or so shots onto my computer from their special day. That's a far cry from the 1,400 I took! With a computer that's full and ready to crash, I'm waiting on a loan to purchase some equipment that will really allow me to do what I love...without restrictions! When the others are able to be edited, I will share more.

So Tamara and Alex...congratulations and thank you so, so much for letting me be part of your special day. I hope you like what you see. And if I've captured at least one moment that will forever transport you back in time to that very moment, then well...I've done my job. You two are amazing and wonderful. I'm so honored to have had the opportunity to put your special day into images you will have forever.

Inside :: Outside

:: Inside ::

:: Outside ::

The Really, Really Big City

Well, the little one got a glimpse of a really, really big city. Boston, to be exact. And the verdict? She loved it! I mean, she acted like she was born in the city. I thought my little farm girl would be scared of things like escalators, subway trains, amazingly tall buildings, noisy people and traffic and such, but not her. She just reveled in it all. I think she thrives on energy like this, and she probably was doing all she could to soak up as much as possible to bring back to our little town.

We took a trip to the aquarium where she enthusiastically clapped and giggled at the sight of real penguins. She ran up and down that place so many times (there's a slight incline that circles around the gigantic fish tank in the center of the building) looking at the sharks, sea turtles, and tropical fish. She waved "hello" to pretty much everyone. She spent over 30 minutes in the touch tank mesmerized by the star fish. And then we hit the gift shop where she toted around almost every stuffed penguin she could find. (Don't worry, she did bring one home: a penguin backpack!)

She rode the "T" like a pro, insisting she "do it mysewf!" She gave a guitar player a dollar and danced a little jig while he played with a smile. And the "escagator"? Well, that was right up there on her list of favorites.

All in all, it was an amazing day. We're still beaming about it (with a few yawns thrown in there). I hope you enjoyed the little glimpse of our day in the big, big city.

Enjoy the weekend! I'll have the tutorial up by Monday morning.

This Weekend

Wishes are free.

My helper.

Outside play.

Wishing you all a very happy Mother's Day! Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Down By the Bay

The latest favorite evening walk. A bit of rock throwing. A bit of splashing. A bit of giggles. A lot of fun.

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

With my urge to sew, sew, sew, I wanted to add some items to my shop (the poor thing has been neglected far too long!) but I'm not sure what I should focus on. Bags, clothes, home items? What do you think? Leave a suggestion and maybe I can put something together before too long!

Also, stay tuned for a fantabulous (another word that isn't, but really should be) giveaway tomorrow. Trust me, you won't want to miss it!

Blooms and Bowling

:: Weekend blooming, yard work, and chores ::

:: Weekend bowling, dinner with friends, arcade games, and pool ::

Now I'm off to finish some sewing projects. I hope your weekend was full of joy and laughter!

Another One...

Another post bragging about the glorious weather. 80+ degrees?! In April?!! Why yes, and I'll take it. Nothing beats an unexpected summer day, stuck smack dab in the middle of spring.
It's cooled off since earlier, the wind is howling outside, and we're anticipating a chillier day tomorrow. But today was all about sunscreen, dipping toes in the water, skipping rocks, picnic baskets filled with goodies, ice cream, and spending every.single.second outside.

So indulge me one more time...just one. And I promise I'll write something soon that doesn't have to do with the sun or ice cream. Promise.

All In a Weekend

The first lawn mowing, flowers blooming everywhere, a high of 70 degrees, tank tops, shorts, bare feet in the grass, playing the guitar on the back porch while soaking in the sun, swinging and sandbox playing after dinner, long walks, a bit of sewing, lots of spring cleaning, writing some new tunes, taking lots of pictures, another trip to the big city for a great concert, homemade coconut milk ice cream, the first sunburn of the season, waking up early to get to work, pumping up the bike tires for the seasons first ride, smelling that freshly-cut-grass smell, creating a new c.d. mix perfect for summer days, and just enjoying every little bit of sun and warmth this weekend had to offer.

You and I

Don't you worry, there my honey
we might not have any money
but we've got our love to pay the bills

Maybe I think you're cute and funny,
maybe I wanna do what bunnies do with you,
if you know what I mean

Oh, let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the South of France
let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
and teach them how to dance
let's get rich and build our house on a mountain
making everybody look like ants
from way up there, you and I, you and I

Well you might be a bit confused
and you might be a little bit bruised
but baby how we spoon like no one else

So I will help you read those books
if you will soothe my worried looks
and we will put the lonesome on the shelf

Oh let’s get rich and buy our parents homes in the South of France
let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
and teach them how to dance
let's get rich and build our house on a mountain
making everybody look like ants
from way up there you and I, you and I

-Ingrid Michaelson

My new favorite song. Listen here. I hope it's as gorgeous where you are as it is here. The sun is shining, I've been dying fabric for a new project (more on that later), and just enjoying sitting around catching up on life, work, and hopes and dreams for the future.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Almost Time...

Almost time...

For daily trips to the beach.

For sunset picnics full of yummy food, sand, and a bit of chocolate.

For trying to catch the waves and laughing when they catch us instead.

For watching the beautiful sunsets while packing up the gear and heading home.

For finally starting that picnic blanket I keep talking about.

Yes, indeed. It's almost, almost time for summer. There's nothing like watching the last bit of snow melting from the yard, feeling the warm sun on your face, packing away the winter clothes, and knowing that just around the corner warmer weather will be here for good. It's amazing how much joy can be packed into one day.

Shop e. wallace photography

I'd like to announce the opening of my new shop: e. wallace photography on Big Cartel. Photography is definitely something that fills me up and most of my creative energy seems to be moving more and more in this direction. I'm excited to have some prints available for purchase! You will notice that there are only 5 listed at the moment, because I'd like to ask you all a favor...

What prints would you like to see in my shop? Have you seen an image you've fallen in love with on my blog or flickr in the past? Link to it in the comments and I'll get it up in my shop!

All prints are signed by me and printed on the most fabulous matboard (click here for an idea of how they look) that allows for some really neat and easy display options.

And I'm offering 10% off for all my blog readers for the next week! Just type in code "blogreader09" and I'll refund you the difference!

Eva

I had the pleasure of photographing this adorable wee one recently. Remember her mama? Well, turns out there was a whole lot of cuteness packed inside that beautiful belly! It was so fun capturing all the expressions little Eva made. And she was so tiny!

Eva-it was such a pleasure photographing you and your beautiful family. I hope to capture your cute expressions again in the future!

Take These Broken Wings and Learn To Fly

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

I Dream of Sasa

Just wanted to let you all know I am indeed still here. Things have been rocky lately and my energy is going elsewhere. Today I had a photo gig down in Portland for the amazing Melissa Sweet (Caldecott award winner for "River of Words") who is Sasa's sister. She's so talented! It was a photographer's dream come true to wander around for a couple of hours taking pictures of people.

When we were packing up the car, we noticed this funky blue wall across the street. We had such fun taking pictures. I put together this silly little thing. I couldn't resist...the look on my face was just begging for it! My dude is the coolest. I love him so much. He's my best friend and it feels like I've found another half of myself that had been out there in the world all this time. I am a very, very lucky gal!

And guess who will finally be guest blogging tomorrow? That's right! Sasa will be officially introduced to this little space here. I can't wait!

I Just Want to Feel Alive Again

A Trip to the Big City

Sasa and I took the little one down to the big city for some fun yesterday. We stopped at the toy store, visited Baba at work, ventured into our favorite little record store, and finally ended the day with a very long stay at the children's museum. The little one had a day full of laughs, smiles, good food, lots of love, and two people who were so very excited to spend the day with her. It's amazing how much she is growing and changing. We are having so much fun watching it all happen!

And thanks for your continued well wishes. I am indeed feeling better. I still have the same hacking cough I've had since early November, and I'm not sure exactly where I stand with this pesky mono. But Sasa and the little one have done a very good job taking care of me. And I am so very thankful for that!

I have some crafty posts coming, a little guest blogging action, and I'll finally be revealing what that photographer from the Salt Institute was all about. So stay tuned! Enjoy the weekend!

Baby Bellies

A little while ago, a blog reader contacted me about doing a maternity photo shoot, and I jumped on the chance. Little did I know she had just about the cutest pregnant belly I've ever seen!

When I arrived at her home she greeted me with the biggest smile and welcomed me in for a cup of tea and some mama chat. It's funny how I'm meeting many of my readers and feeling like I've known them for years. Kristen and I connected instantly, and we had a blast creating interesting shots and trying wacky things. She graciously bared her belly for nearly two hours while I snapped away. I was happy to get home to find I captured some really nice shots. You can see some more on my website under the "maternity" section. Thanks again Kristen!

And thank you all for your well wishes. As I type this I am laying in bed. Sasa has forbid me to leave the bedroom, although I see a bath in my future this morning. I have the next six days off from work to rest too. I decided that the longer I pushed myself, the longer it would be until I was well. And quite frankly, three months is already too long to be sick. I am ready to feel better! So thanks for the encouragement. Does anyone have any good book or movie recommendations?!

Sledding

We've got snow. Lots of it, in fact. Actually, according to the little one we have "too much snow" to even sled properly. So after about five minutes of being pulled around the yard, she made it loud and clear that the excessive amount of snow was too much to handle. So inside we went! But I did manage to snap a few pictures of our activities before my frozen fingers refused to press the shutter release. Ah, winter...

Barker Family

I had the pleasure of photographing the beautiful family of a long-time blog reader last week. Tara contacted me and asked if I'd drive up to her house to take pictures of her family. It was so fun meeting her and I had one of those "are you sure I haven't met you before?!" feelings. Her boys were amazingly cute, and the series of pictures I got of the whole family were quite heart warming.
Tara and her husband own a store called Sage Market, which you can visit if you're ever up in Camden, Maine. You can check out their website here.

Thanks Tara and Josh for letting me and my camera into your lives! And thank you to all the readers who contacted me about photo shoots. I have the next five weeks booked!

Enjoy the week!

A Lazy Day

It seems as though most of the week is spent running here and there, rushing around getting meals prepared and the house cleaned up, squeezing in nap time and getting to bed at a reasonable hour, and all the things in between. It can be exhausting and it's not until Thursday comes around that I remember to breathe and slow down.

Thursday is our wide-open day: no plans, no play dates, no story time at the library. We simply do whatever we feel like. It may entail a trip to the big city, a lazy day at home, or hanging out in our little town. There's no telling what activity the little one will want to partake in, but it always starts at the bookshop cafe for some whip cream and hot chocolate.

With all the previous rushing about, we both seem to really appreciate the slowness of Thursdays. Falling into a rhythm of play and housework; of helping one another side by side or breaking off into our own activities. There's lots of dancing, music (we are loving this group lately), cooking and baking, and eating. And whatever we tend to do, it is much enjoyed.

We always end the day with a special meal and homemade ice cream for dessert. The little one gets extra cuddles and stories at night (she's really loving this book right now), and I sing songs while she settles into bed. Her favorite songs? Well, that would be "Lobsterman's Wife" and "Red Robin", of course!

I hope you are all enjoying this Thursday too!

And for no reason

And
For no reason
I start skipping like a child.

And
For no reason
I turn into a leaf
That is carried so high
I kiss the Sun's mouth
And dissolve.

And
For no reason
A thousand birds
Choose my head for a conference table,
Start passing their
Cups of wine
And their wild songbooks all around.

And
For every reason in existence
I begin to eternally,
To eternally laugh and love!

When I turn into a leaf
And start dancing,
I run to kiss our beautiful Friend
And I dissolve in the Truth
That I Am.

~Hafiz

First off, thank you all for your well wishes! I am feeling better and hope to return to work on Wednesday. It was quite a weekend!

www.ewallacephotography.com

I've been doing a lot of work on my photography website and I'm happy to announce it's finished! So please wander over and take a look. I'm looking for more people who would be willing to sit through a portrait shoot (for free!) so I can build up my portfolio. So if you're in the area and would like a portrait session of you or your kids, or a family shoot, please let me know.

I hope your Solstice was a good one! I hope to have some crafty posts for you all soon. The sewing room is in the works...

Giving Thanks

I don't typically get that excited about holidays, and have never really focused on "giving thanks" for anything in a serious manner around Thanksgiving. But this year, I feel thankful for so many things. I woke up yesterday morning feeling like it was Christmas. I felt that same excitement I did as a little child as I ran to the Christmas tree. We woke up to a yard full of frost that almost looked like snow, and there was such a feeling of festivity in the air. I went the whole day thinking how lucky I was and how thankful I am for everything and everyone in my life. There is just so much to be thankful for...

The little one's first television viewing. I haven't had television in 6 years, so the little one has never seen a show on t.v. or a commercial for that matter. But there is cable where we are staying, and we turned it on for the first time to view the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The little one thoroughly enjoyed the dancing and singing before the parade started. She kept getting annoyed by the commercials and requested "more people!!!" every two minutes.

A Thanksgiving Day morning walk. We hiked over 3 miles with two friends while the little one stayed unusually content in her backpack. The weather was mild and the rain held off. We enjoyed some gorgeous views and it felt great to get some exercise.

Thanksgiving dinner at the sweetest little house ever, with some lovely company. It was a very low-key, relaxed day and we all had a lot of fun. One of the nicest parts was the fact that the pies, stuffing, and side dishes were gluten-free! So I had my first complete Thanksgiving meal without a lot of pain afterward!

An after dinner walk down to the ocean where the little one found a "choo-choo train". The walk seemed to finally tire her out, so she slept on the car ride home and remarkably fell asleep once placed in her bed at home.

And I am thankful for a new place to live, which will hopefully happen this coming week! The little one and I are so excited. We'll be sharing the house with a friend, and I promise to update you with all the renovations/redecorating that goes on. The little one has requested a "green and purple" room...any ideas on how I could make that work?! And you know...there will be a new sewing studio to put together and I am very excited about a new color/theme for that! And soon there will be some craftiness happening on this blog again. I am just itching to get back to sewing! There is just so much to be thankful for!

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. Enjoy the weekend!

New Digs

In another week or two it looks like we will be settled in our new home, right in town. I always dreamed of farm living, but I think I like the idea of being in town and walking everywhere. And, fortunately, our town has no regulations on livestock, so it appears that we may eventually get those goats I've always wanted. And the ducks and chickens may follow us there as well! So expect to see some pictures of renovations, redecorating, and urban homesteading. I can't wait to share more with you. It will feel so good to have a home again, and I hope to be back in this space more regularly shortly after with lots of crafty goodness!

I hope you're enjoying the weekend! I think snow is on its way...

The Encouragement of Light

How
Did the rose
Ever open it’s heart

And give this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,

Otherwise,
We all remain

Too

Frightened

-Hafiz

A Visit to the Farm

My friend (and coworker) is building a house and invited the little one and I over to see the progress. Her parents live on a big farm with beautiful gardens, apple trees, four pigs, two horses, and chickens just down the road. So we spent some time at the farm exploring. I was sent home with a stalk of brussel sprouts, kale, and beets. Not to mention our weekly trade of duck eggs for garlic and potatoes. I think I'll have a happy belly all winter long!

The little one especially loved discovering the toys inside that were tucked away in a corner. I've noticed a huge difference in her play since she started preschool in September. She is more engaged and happily plays away for long stretches of time. I've also noticed that the less toys there are, the more she plays. I'm thinking about going through a lot of ours and dwindling them down to a few. Most just sit in the baskets or on the shelves unused. Blocks, her new ukulele, her wooden farm family, and her cars are the most played with. Everything else just seems to go unnoticed! Has anyone else found that having less toys encourages more play?

And we have been regularly putting on performances for anyone who will listen of this song. This is the very song I sang the other month with the guitarist at a local barn gig. The little one insists I play the ukulele while she bangs away on her mini piano. So far she's received some very enthusiastic clapping for her talents. Maybe she'll join me on stage next time!

A Day in Camden

Sorry there hasn't been much action on the blog lately. I think I keep mentioning that things are crazy for me right now. So I will mention it again: things are crazy for me right now! So I don't have the time or energy to do much writing, although my camera is always by my side. So please forgive me for another picture post. This time we headed to Camden for a picnic by the water and a walk around town.

I hope you are all enjoying the lovely fall weather! I'm hoping there is time to get in plenty of hiking trips before the weather gets too chilly.

Speaking of chilly weather, I'd love to hear some of your favorite children's books for winter. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

words dance

I was contacted a little while ago by a lovely reader who puts out a zine on Etsy. She asked to use some of my self-portraits and I was more than willing to send her some. I got my copy of the zine in the mail today and it's amazing. It's an all-female issue and the words, poetry, and other photos are all so very lovely. I would encourage any gals out there to check it out, because it's such a wonderful read and so very sweet and full of talent.

You can find the zine here. I especially adore that photo on the cover!

I know I have been sparse around here lately. I have a lot going on and I just shot over 900 photos at a recent wedding that I am slowly filtering through, so most of my computer time is going towards that. And you may see some pictures with another photographer in the background. Like the one above. I hope I can introduce her soon. I will start by saying that I was contacted by a woman from the Salt Institute who was interested in doing a documentary on me. So she is spending a day a week with me until the last week of November, photographing every thing I do. It's rather amusing having someone else taking the photographs. And the greatest thing is, we get to talk photography a lot, so I end up learning even more! So in the photo above, we were dueling Nikons in a dressing room. I'm pretty sure she won. I mean, just look at that lens...

I hope to have some wedding photos to share with you soon. I'm ashamed to say I haven't had a spare second to spend down in the green room. I'm really hoping to start working on a quilt for the little one's "big bed" (I'm hoping to transition her soon...) and would love to hear of any simple quilting patterns that you know of. I'm a beginner quilter, so go easy on me! I'm assuming you can't go wrong with squares...

Away

The little one and I headed down to my mother's house (right outside the "big city") for a few days. We are having lots of fun, although sleep tends to be last on the list, which makes for a very tired mama and a very tired toddler. There's just way too much excitement down this way!

We headed out to a famous lighthouse and fort this afternoon for some kite flying, swinging, and ocean air. After it was a trip to the city to walk around and grab a bite to eat. The little one is thoroughly enjoying herself and everything the big city has to offer! We will return to our little homestead this weekend to settle back into our country life...

A Beach Picnic at Sunset

Two posts in one day?! Why yes. It was just too beautiful of a day not to. I'm off to shoot another wedding tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have some photos to share!

Fall Festivities

We headed to a local apple orchard this morning for some picking. This was the little one's first time, and she really enjoyed filling our baskets and bags with the drops. (And they're free!) We walked away with about 30 pounds of apples which will be turned into pies, applesauce, and apple butter in the next few days.

And downtown gets pretty excited about fall/Halloween. Friday night we watched as the gigantic pumpkins were brought in on tractors and placed all along the sidewalks. Some weigh as much as 400 pounds! Today the festivities began, with artists painting or carving the gigantic pumpkins, and a pumpkin painting party for the little ones. Tomorrow is a parade. I'm pretty sure the little one is going to be a turkey with her preschool class.

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

I'll leave you with some songs I am really enjoying at the moment:
This one
This one
and this one.

A Spontaneous Evening

The little one has gone almost an entire week without an afternoon nap. I fear the days of naps may be almost over. Instead of being tired and cranky, she is just loving every minute of her extra awake time. Tonight, we took a spontaneous trip to town. We ended up wandering into the open door of the local Coin-O-Matic, where the little one was overwhelmed with joy by the various washing machine, dryers, and rolling carts. 30 minutes later, we were finally ready to move on.

We ended up heading out to a nearby lighthouse to watch the sunset. It was amazing. We spent a good amount of time climbing on the rocks, watching the moon, and listening to the waves crash against the shore. Follow that with a trip to a restaurant where two bowls of vanilla ice cream awaited for dinner, and you have one fun evening! (And a surprisingly energetic toddler who finally fell asleep after 9 p.m....)

A Fun Morning

After a nice chilly morning breakfast of quinoa flakes, we headed into town for story time at the library. We enjoyed some fun fall stories and lots of mama chatting time, then wandered over to the cafe from some tea. The little one was having such a cooperative morning that I decided a stop at the thrift shop was in order. We scored some neat things at a lovely price and spent some time wandering around the little neighborhood after, pointing to all the red, orange, and yellow trees.

Autumn always makes me so happy. I have many wonderful fall memories from my childhood; jumping in leaves, apple picking, pies, curling up under a cozy blanket with a book, the smells, the light changing, spending weekends raking the yard with my mother, Halloween costumes, baking, picking out pumpkins, and the list goes on. I hope the little one finds this time of year just as special as I do. I'm sure she'll have plenty of pictures to remember it by!

Some Priscilla Ahn Love

do you see
standing there in the corner
i was alone, i always am at these big parties
watching you watching everybody
wishing i was more outgoing
wishing i was just a pretty wallflower

i'm not here, no one sees me -- wallflower
i'm by myself, please excuse me

but there you were, standing in your own corner
your eyes were wide, tired, fading just like mine
we could be the best of friends i'm sure of it
but i'm too shy to cross this crowded room besides

wallflower
i'm not here, no one sees me -- wallflower
i'm by myself, please excuse me

help me leave this corner of the room
i'm reaching out to you
cause i've got things i could talk to you about
we could be wallflower friends
to the end -- wallflower friends
to the end, i'm sure of it

wallflowers
we're not here, no one sees us -- wallflowers
we're together please excuse us

~Priscilla Ahn

Well, I'm pretty sure you've all noticed my love of Priscilla Ahn. In fact, her lyrics have inspired many of my self-portraits. I was contacted by her marketing director (or his wife, anyway...Hi Key!) and asked if I'd like to do a giveaway on my blog. Who can pass up a giveaway?! So he sent me three full length Priscilla cd's and four with a shorter selection.
Priscilla's voice is so dreamy and lovely, not to mention her amazing lyrics that seem to say so much of what is in my heart. If you go to her website, linked above, you can hear some of her music.

So if you'd like to be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment (make sure to include your e-mail address!!!) and I will draw some names next Tuesday at 2 p.m. EST.

And there will be some pants added to my shop tomorrow afternoon. Same style as last year with a little tweak in the fit. So stay tuned!