a baby story...

Every now & again I have to pinch myself when I look back on moments like these…  I know I'm not some big shot photographer with a huge following or clientele.  But I've always been a firm believer in quality not quantity.  I am just so happy to remember where I started & to see my continuing growth in portrait photography from then until now.  I've truly enjoyed getting to know my clients and being able to share in the stories of their lives.  That's the good stuff.  And this baby story will forever be near & dear to my heart.  

Well this day was unreal…  You see, some people can grow tiny humans, I just don't happen to be one of them.  One such amazing person invited me into her delivery room…  What an incredible and wonderful life experience…  Something I was never sure I would ever be intimately familiar with personally.  My heart goes out to you & your family for including me in such a beautiful & private moment.  Your new baby boy is absolutely perfect in every way…

And if it wasn't exciting enough to welcome this sweet baby boy into the world, I was invited into their lovely home to snuggle him and his perfect little toes just a short week later!

mornings with grace

dear grace,

It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since I've run my fingertips over the lines of your sweet face, pressed your spotted pink nose to mine, or witnessed your goofy little grin when we walked through the door.  I remember wishing often that our time together on this earth would never end…  During one such moment, your Auntie explained it to me- why this couldn't be.  She said she came across something a little boy once said:

“People are born so that they learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The four year old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

These words have stayed with me… from then, until now.  Thinking back, I remember how the skies seemed to transform on the eve of the last day we shared together.  From the bleak, cold greys of winter, to beautiful sun-filled days that yearned to warm my soul…  Of course, this year was no different.  -On this morning, the 13th of January, exactly one year later, I arose from my bed just as the sun's light began to peak over the horizon.  I tip-toed through our kitchen and cracked open the back door.  The dawn's crisp air greeted me as I took a step out onto the porch.  The clouds were like rolling waves, saying their hellos, the countless colors of your spirit washing over me…  And as I stood with my bare feet pressed to the cold concrete, my face continued to linger on the heavens.  I closed my eyes and inhaled the richness of the quiet surrounding me.  Then my lips parted with a wisp of fog that accompanies warm breath on a cold day, and what followed was the whisper of your eternal name… 

planting trees & patio time...

 

"Chicken Little" loves to help…  She frequents the local Home Depot with us quite often, as did our Gracie girl.  Since springtime is starting to make an appearance, we've decided to plant a few trees!  Here's our very first redbud (the Oklahoma State tree).  I'm pretty excited about seeing it outside my window… they are just the prettiest part of our landscape here every year, ranging from blooms of pink to purple!  Thank goodness we staked them before our first tornado of the season rolled through… and they survived the first major storm without incident.  The patio is getting a little color too, and is becoming our favorite hangout place.  The pup is sure to stick her nose in everything, checking out every new flower and herb we plant.  And after a long day of playing, chasing, & running in the sun, she settles down on the concrete to cool off for a quick nap before it starts all over again.  Hope wherever you call home, you've been able to enjoy a bit of the outdoors finally with family & friends!

home sweet home...

I must say… I am REALLY loving me a few front porch shots lately… like ALOT.

There's just something so nostalgic about a family all crowded together on their front porch sharing a moment & a smile.

 

I even decided I needed one for myself… 

AND… it was while I was setting up the self-timer, that this happened… be still my heart.

mission organization... spice jars.

It's finally starting to come together… We are nestled back in the states after our four year stay in Germany.  (Almost a year now, can you believe it!?)  & we found a beautiful place to call home.  Now to give everything a "home" inside it…  Enter mission organization.  Time to implement an idea that has been with me for awhile now.  And who doesn't like the idea of a neat & tidy pantry?

of course along with that, comes the very necessary… spice jars!! and voila!
when I open my drawer, they pretty much sing to me… 

these have been a long time in the making…
& of course I couldn't settle for just any spice jar- these french glass beauties are tall, for refilling less often- I was able to customize the size, shape, & even the lid!
you can find them here -buy in bulk & you can even save a few bucks.

I made my own labels, using these free printable templates 

just use photoshop, word, or the software of your choice (but make sure before you print them on the actual labels, you do a few test prints… an easy way to see if they line up, is to hold your test print & blank label sheet together up against a window so the light shines through).  Also- since I already have my graphic picked out, I chose plain white labels that measured a little bit smaller than my jar lid.

and these are the lids I chose (another little tip- mine came with a liner, which sticks to the spice jar -almost like a freshness seal- you can order lids without these liners if you prefer)

and once again, the finished product- I love them (& so does my hubby)!!

Last tip- make sure before applying the label, you screw your lids on tight!  Otherwise they don't line up as pretty…  Now go make your space organized, you'll want to cook from scratch more often!!  Have fun friends!

where some of my inspiration came from… including a few of the labels I used!

Unsophisticook :: The Pretty Blog :: Anthropologie

Lane Robbins :: Lane Robbins :: Style Lush

no place like home...

as the saying goes… well you get it.

my house is my cozy space, an extension of who I am… 

and now fall is here… and it's only my FAVORITE time of year.

and you see for me, the challenge is always not to go overboard… 

so welcome, to a small piece of our personal spaces.

week seven :: there's no place like home

laura on the left :: me on the right

next week's theme :: the afternoon hours