The End of the Season

May 16, 2013

I recently wrapped up Visual Storytelling, taught by Molly Flanagan through the Define School. It was an amazing online workshop. I highly, highly recommend it, for any photographer interested in learning more about the art of storytelling through images. When I took the course, I knew I wanted to document our soccer routine. Ry has been playing the last five weeks, so every Monday & Wednesday evening, we run out the door to his games. This was his first year playing, & he loved it! We really enjoyed it, too; it's pretty cute watching a dozen or so kids run around after the ball. Last night was his final game, so I made a point to have a few extra minutes for photos. p.s. there's no actual game photos posted here, to protect the other players privacy.

Little Bird Naturals

May 12, 2013

Last month, the kids & I hung out with the sweet family behind Little Bird Naturals. Sue sells amber necklaces for children & adults, a variety of handcrafted wooden toys, play silks & nursing necklaces. Her stuff is awesome- top quality, handcrafted & beautiful. Her chickens are also pretty cool! Covey surprised me with his interest in them, chasing them, petting them & even feeding them out of his hands. He's terrified of most animals, so I wasn't expecting this chicken affection from him. It was also impressive to see how much the chickens were a part of their family. We'll be getting some more amber necklace photos in the future, but head over to Little Bird Naturals on facebook now, to stay up-to-date on her beautiful products!

Welcome to the World, Collin

May 12, 2013

'Sometimes the smallest things,take up the most room in your heart' -Winnie-the-Pooh

There's something about newborn love that you can't match anywhere else. It's pure, fresh & beautiful. The tiny little hands & toes, the sweet smell of the top of their head, their bright eyes checking out the world that is so new to them. Then watching the parents soak up all that newness- admire it, love it, appreciate it; it really is amazing. Happy 1st Mother's Day, Nichole!

Happy Mother's Day

May 11, 2013

Happy Mother's Day. Yesterday, I told the kids I wanted one photo with them, for Mother's Day. I rarely attempt that with the camera & have been trying to more with the iPhone. So I admittedly took advantage of Mother's Day, & got some pictures. Mike took them for me- I got it all set-up & then hoped for the best, but was pleasantly surprised with his photo skills (or listening skills, as I told him exactly where to stand, bend his knees, what to focus on, etc...haha, it's kind of hard not to).

I hope all of you mom's out there have a wonderful day today, but more than that, I hope you have wonderful days. I know there are some really long ones, some really hard ones, some really fun ones, some really crazy ones...& I'm not really sure how one day a year can encapsulate all this motherhood stuff, but it's nice to get that extra bit of acknowledgement. Motherhood is not easy & it's not always smooth-sailing, but it's really fricken amazing.

An Afternoon at Sad Park

May 9, 2013

A long time ago, I played at this park as a kid. The playground equipment was shiny, the quonset huts were upright, four-wheeler tracks didn't cover the grassy field- flash forward twenty years, & the park is a disaster. However, it's our neighborhood park. One time, a year or two ago, I said it was a sad park. The boys' soaked that up instantly. Every time I ask if they want to go to the park, they refer to it as "Sad Park." It is sad. I wrote a letter to the editor over a year ago (or maybe two already? I can't remember...) about the condition of the park, which sort of sparked an interest in revamping it. The borough has also gotten a few calls about it. Then last year, we got funding. Nothing has happened yet, but next week the Parks & Rec Committee is having a meeting. We're hoping to finally put a smile on this Sad Park. It's over three acres of land & the only park in our large neighborhood. Yesterday, I took some pictures, to tell it's story.