Christmas Pictures (This Year)

Back in 2004 my good friend was getting married and invited me to attend a bridal showcase with her. While there, I was introduced to photo-journalistic photography and fell in love. I loved the idea of telling the story and emotions of the day through photography, so three years later when I got married I knew exactly what kind of photography I wanted! This style was exactly what I was looking for over the summer as I started thinking about this year's Christmas pictures. Thanks to the internet I was able to find Amy Tripple, a photographer in our area with a style I adored. She's not only a great photographer, she also is such a sweet person. My son was so comfortable with her...and so was I (I even hugged her after our session!) I'm sure Chloe would have warmed up to her too--if it wasn't 40 degrees out! Below are a few pictures from our session. Hubby was out of town on business the day of our session. Also, I took the hat I made Chloe just in case we needed it and it ended up working out perfectly! I'll be sure to give details about our Christmas cards once they're designed and ordered...my goal is chic style with a meek price tag!

Photo by Amy Tripple

Photo by Amy Tripple

Photo by Amy Tripple

Photo by Amy Tripple

Christmas Pictures (A look back)

Christmas picture 2007: Super Easy and Affordable...we used one of our favorite wedding pictures and made a photo card through Shutterfly.

Christmas Picture 2008: Easy and Affordable...gave Caleb some ornaments and snapped a few pictures. We added the words "This year our biggest gift came in the smallest package."

We used Vistaprint for printing and saved on postage by ordering postcards rather than greeting cards.

Christmas Picture 2009: A little challenging but affordable...my friend took the picture on a random bench not too far from our home. It was cold and Caleb had a hard time sitting still. We managed to get this picture after many tries. We made it black and white then added text using Photoshop, again we used Vistaprint.

Christmas Picture 2010: Details coming soon...I promise! (As soon as I figure out the details)

Turkey Time

Do you have the holidays on the brain like I do? My family travels for my annual momcation, I mean our annual Thanksgiving trip. Though with all the relatives around it does seem like a mini mommy vacation for me. I usually have only a few responsibilities: 1) nurse the baby 2) iron the tablecloths 3) watch as much HGTV as I want.

This year I was hoping to catch a 9 by Design marathon but it seems that won't be happening, thanks Bravo! But after seeing this absolutely cute idea from One Charming Party I may actually contribute a turkey to this year's celebration.

A paper one full of popcorn of course! Garrett's popcorn would be a great filling...but I might have to line the bag with plastic in order to keep the greasy goodness from seeping through.

Carrying Baby

Photo by ERGO baby

In my modest opinion, every mother should have a Baby Ergo Carrier. It has been a life saver! I have had many baby carriers- the Peanut Shell, the Moby Wrap, and the Snugli. I have used the Ultimate Baby Wrap and was very close to buying the Baby Bjorn. But the Ergo is my favorite. It is comfy (thanks to the padding and waist strap), versatile (you can wear it on the front, back, and on your hip), convenient (easy to get on and off), and has a hood (to protect baby from the sun AND allow for discreet nursing). I do still prefer the Moby Wrap when the baby is very small with limited head control--but after that the Ergo and I are inseparable...and so are me and my babe.

Matchy Matchy

I have a sickness and I really need your help.

When putting together outfits I try really hard not to match too much but I can't seem to help it! In my modest opinion, I think coordinating or complimenting looks so much better than matching. I remember growing up and seeing couples matching (as in the exact same outfit) at the mall or Six Flags and I secretly vowed not to be that couple.

I love it when I see people coordinate and put colors together that wouldn't normally go together or family's that compliment each other without wearing the exact same things--oh how I long for their freedom!

If only I could just learn to coordinate and not match. "Complimentary not matchy matchy" I silently recite to myself. I remember a good friend who would only wear a gold colored shirt with her denim skirt because it had gold stitching. And another friend who would match her hair accessories with her blue jeans rather than a neutral black or white. Is it because we grew up in the 90's? Or is it a geographical thing? Above is a picture of my children (the cheesy one on the left and the "little" one being held on the right) the other cuties belong to my friend--she too grew up in the 90's and hails from Chicago. Hence, our kids all match!

I don't know--but as I try to gather the kids' outfits for our annual Christmas pictures I find myself repeating over and over again "Complimentary not matchy matchy." Do you ever have this problem? Or do you find yourself needing to match more?

Project: Priorities

Last week I felt like my priorities were out of whack. Things that were important, but further down on my list, were slowly taking my time and energy away from the things that mattered most. I revisited my mission statement and created a visual to post in a place I visit everyday--my refrigerator. This helps me remember whats important (as well as the order of importance)...also making it pretty encourages me to look at it more!

If you need to create a mommy mission statement to help keep things in order I suggest you visit Inspired to Action. Seriously, this blog really does inspire me to action. Above is my priority list with an abridged version of my mission statement. I used scrapbook paper, glue, and a sharpie.

Bows from Ban.do

How many different ways could you wear these bows from Ban.do? There's the obvious in the hair or on the shirt, but there are a ton of other ways too- on your shoes? on a belt? on a handbag? to close a cardigan? in a house? with a mouse? in a box? with a fox? here or there or anywhere?

Ok, so maybe they aren't as versatile as green eggs and ham but you could do a lot with them!