Today, I don't love:

*  That Lucy ended up having to cry it out for her first nap, and then didn't even end up sleeping

*  That Lucy still won't flip from tummy to back and gets REALLY mad about it.

*  That I didn't manage to get a shower.

*  The few stubborn ants that haven't succumbed to my latest ant trap attack. Gross.

*  My hair. Too short to be put up, too long to look good down without work.

*  My current feet. I'm wishin' for a pedicure I don't have to do myself.

*  How Noah repeats something a gabillion times until I stare him in the face to acknowledge that I HEARD YOU.

*  Feeling behind on work.

*  Seam-ripping something I appliqued on with the tiniest/super close stitches. A MESS o' threads to cut and cut and cut.

*  Letting Noah watch too much TV... even if it WAS WALL-E, the cutest cartoon ever.

But today, I love:

*  Coffee cake in a mug for breakfast.

*  Finishing a sewn humpback whale from this Finnish blog and not doing too shabby of a job.

*  How Pinterest inspires me daily and I actually manage to DO things from my boards on many days of the week.

*  Lucy's now 2.5-hour nap marathon since missing her morning nap.

*  Batteries in my baby monitor so I can carry it outside while Noah and I play in the sunshine.

*  A flowy skirt that feels comfy and pretty, even when I haven't showered.

*  Little dangly earrings from Katie.

*  Mozzarella caprese for lunch, using farmer's market Purple Heirloom tomatoes and my own basil. YUM.

*  That today is a day Joe comes home on time. Its always better with him here.

*  Lucy's growing patch of blonde hair on her head, filling in her widow's peak hairline. So fuzzy and soft!

*  Noah's incredibly developed imagination and the way he views the world. 

*  Moon dough and exersaucers, both occupying each kid for just a little while when I needed space today. 

*  The sun coming out after a grey morning. 

*  The weekend is almost here.

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What about you? 

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Some from today's playtime....
 

I love this next one... Just an unguarded moment as he checks things out...
   

And one of Miss Lucy from last week, since she was napping today when I took out my camera. See her growing head of hair? And that tongue-- she LOVES to poke that thing out and sample the world around her... :) 
(Aside: Gosh, I have so many other photos of my kiddos I've taken in the last two months that I love.... But haven't gotten time to edit them. A casualty of the pro sessions coming back into my life. I hate it. I need to remedy it. Soon.)

Miss Alli {St. Louis Newborn Baby Photographer}

{Another Early 2011 Session Share}

And another sweet newborn--- this time a cute baby girl named Alli. Born in January, she was the perfect amount of plump and completely sweet.

 

Thanks, Rachael and Co., for trusting me with your darling new baby. I can't believe it's been nearly a year and that she is completely changed by now! 

Time flies, you guys.... It really really does. my Lucy is SIX months old today. I just took her 6-month shots and am in complete disbelief that we've had her in our arms for a half a year already. 

Crazy. 

Go hug your babies. They're growing before your very eyes.

Abby and Her Baby Bump {St. Louis Maternity Newborn Photographer}

Just a quick little maternity session share--- another great client from early 2011.

This is Abby... and she is carrying Nolan in her belly. (I just like that detail, since one of my dearest friends has a Nolan...)

Like I said... a quick share. Not much extra story to tell--- just another fabulous client with a darling baby bump and a whole wide future ahead of her. 

I love my job!

Kind of a Pro Photographer: Henry's Newborn Session {St. Louis Newborn Baby Photographer}

Who here remembers that I sometimes take photos as a profession? Anyone? 

It's been a strange year for it, to be sure... From January to March, it was a relatively slow season for bookings, so even though I was working, it wasn't a TON. Then in April, I took maternity leave to focus on having Lucy and getting used to having two kids. I did my first session back at the end of May, and have slowly been picking up more and more work since then. The summer stayed slow, thank goodness.. Lucy's colic was about all I could take, so working too much on top of that might have killed me... But here we are in the fall, and I am right about where I want to be: working at about 75% capacity from before I had Lucy.

I feel like I can manage it most days, but one thing that has had to fall by the wayside is the work I was putting into GROWING my business and refining my ideas, products, and marketing. I simply have NOT been able to work on BUSINESS very much this year, opting instead to maintain what I am already doing and trust that progress and FRESH IDEAS will come in their season. I have some things I would love to change, but I have to tell myself that sanity comes first, and all new things can wait a while longer.

Meanwhile, I am MOSTLY a mama.... But I DO still take photographs as my profession. And even with the slowing of work, I AM trying to give my clients the best I have in me. I hope I bring joy to them with the images I create for them.

And with that, I think I actually might be ready to share some sessions from 2011. (Can you BELIEVE that it is OCTOBER and I am just now sharing my first 2011 session? Just another thing I've been letting go of in order to stay sane. But I'm fixing that RIGHT NOW.)

So.... how about a teeny baby?

Here's Henry. Henry was actually SEVEN WEEKS OLD for his photos, if you can believe it. But he was still only 7 pounds, and we took his photos only a day before (after?) his actual due date.

Yep-- Henry was a 7-week early Christmas surprise for his family. They were on Christmas vacation out-of-state and this little guy decided he couldn't wait any longer. He was born in Park City, UT, and almost immediately air flighted to Salt Lake City where the big hospitals could give him the best care. What a crazy, scary, wild experience for his poor mama!

But by the time I met him, only 7 weeks later, he was PERFECT. Healthy and growing, nursing like a champ, and gave me a completely ideal newborn session, even at 7 weeks old.

Big brother was getting used to having him around, too.

Speaking of big brother, can you believe his eyes? He is the most handsome kid ever.

 

All in all, photographing Henry and his family was a delight-- and shooting them in February when I was due only 2 months later really got me excited for my own baby-to-be. 

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And that is that, folks--- now I can say I have finally blogged a session from 2011. And there's more where that came from. I think I'll post two more tomorrow. 

Til then, I am fighting a BAD case of  PMS right now, and it is coloring my entire day. I am finding it hard to be perky and cheerful, and motivation is at an all-time low, which feeds the irritation, which kills the motivation, etc. etc. til the whole cycle gets vicious and yucky. 

Ah well. 

I think I will go sew. It's not the BEST use of my time right now, but it might cheer me up.

How About a Tutorial? Make a Mini Crackle Taggie

Lucy is at the stage now where she LOVES grabbing everything in sight and bringing it to her mouth. She seems AMAZED every time she gets her hands to do what her brain wants, and getting something in her mouth is like the final reward for her hard work. Even better if the thing in her hands is full of texture and sound! So the other week, I decided it was time to make Lucy a mini crackle taggie.

Many of you have already seen taggie blankets. They're typically soft, sometimes fuzzy on one side, often using minky fabric on the main side... and have several small ribbon loops around the perimeter. Lots of kiddos adopt their taggies as their lovey blankets. My good friend Jess actually maintains a business making such things. (Bubba Doodle Baby Gear)(Jess, are you still making these things?? Ha!)

Lucy got one as a gift from a sweet friend, and it is one of her favorite comfort items... But the one I wanted to make would not be for soft, sweet cuddling... it would make some NOISE, baby. This would be a plaything!!

It stinks that photos can't convey NOISE to you--- so as you're looking at this cute little square of fabric and ribbon, pretend you can hear it crackle like cellophane:

 

And then settle in, because I'm going to give you a little quick tutorial on how to make a few of these yourselves. Because they are RIDICULOUSLY easy. And REALLY satisfying. And you'll end up wondering why you didn't cut out supplies for three or four of them instead of just one. In fact, why don't you just start out making three or four? You'll be glad you did--- they are THAT easy. And VOILA-- extras to give as gifties!

The Mini Crackle Taggie Tutorial

Materials Needed:

* a bit of fun cotton fabric

* a bit of soft fabric (flannel/minky/fleece/velour/ whatever) in coordinating color (or contrasting, if you want to be funky)

* matching thread

* a big piece of crackly plastic (I use the bags that come in cereal boxes, or in this tutorial, a bag from a pre-fab pasta dinner kit)

* scraps of ribbon, as many as you want  (no shorter than 2-3 inches each)

How To:

1.  Step one--- take your fun fabrics and cut a 7" square of each. (This project is GREAT for larger pieces of scrap fabric.)

2. Take your recycled plastic and make sure  any and all foodstuffs are rinsed off and the plastic is dry. Cut a 8 or 9" square out of it.

3. Take your ribbon scraps and cut them into 2-3" lengths.

4. Fold your ribbons in half, right sides out, and pin like this--- the fold facing into the center of your fabric. (Avoid putting ribbons near corners. You'll hate yourself when you're turning your taggie right side-out.)

5. to get the ribbons secured, I stitch them in place using a scant 1/4 - 1/8" seam allowance, just on the one piece of fabric. This is an extra step-- you could skip it and move to the next one--- but I find it easier to work with sewed-on ribbon rather than pinned-on ribbon.

6. Time to make your inside-out sandwich. PAY ATTENTION HERE!:

    a. On the bottom, place your ribboned fabric square, ribbons facing up.

    b. in the middle, place your fun cotton square, right side facing down.

    c. on the top, place your crackle plastic. Pin the whole sandwich together.

 

7. Machine-stitch all around your sandwich with a 1/4" or 1/2" seam allowance, leaving a 2" gap in the middle of one side for turning it right side out later.

8. Trim all around, cutting the excess plastic off. Clip your corners, making sure not to cut the seam.

9. Using a chopstick (well, that's what *I* use! Ha!) carefully turn your whole sandwich right side out, getting your chopstick into the corners to get a defined point.

10. Fold your "entry point" nicely into itself and press so that you can't tell where the gap is. (be careful with irons with these! You don't want to iron the whole thing and melt the plastic!!)

11. Top-stitch around the whole thing as close to the edge as you feel comfortable sewing, making sure to get that gap stitched closed.

And..... Ta-da!!

A cute little crackle taggie toy for the babies in your life that are CRAVING sound and texture all wrapped up in one sweet little toy. 

And now, if you made only one, aren't you wishing you'd made three instead?? Admit it. That was EASY. 

(Reminder: NO irons, and when you wash it, make sure to AIR DRY it, instead of throwing it into a hot dryer. I cannot vouch for the durability of that plastic in hot environments!)

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All right---happy Tuesday to y'all! I have an almost-4-year old who needs me to get off the computer and give him some face time. I am all too happy to oblige. :)

I Have Fat Calves.

I splurged the other week and bought the prettiest pair of leather boots... SO pretty. Achingly pretty. finally worth me breaking my typical shoe budget of $30.

And then my fat calves got in the way. These calves didn't used to be fat. What an indignity-- to see that part of my body expand with the rest of this post-children body. Boo.

Well, I pulled and pinched and squeezed, and managed to get those pretty boots all zipped up... And I got to feel sassy and great at the Alison Krauss concert last week with Joe in my pretty new boots. Never mind the pinchy feeling 'round my fat calves.

So I thought.... I made them work! These babies are keepers! 

Until today.

 

Today, the pulling, pinching and squeezing didn't work so well.

   

 Waaa!! The saddest thing I've seen in awhile. *sniff*

I mean, these pretty boots are so PRETTY. They're real leather, in the loveliest deep, rich color...

And the DETAILING... Oh the DETAILING....*sigh*

   

 Welp... that's what I get for trying to be stylish. The universe telling me to "HUMBLE DOWN, SISTER!"

Telling me to go back and put on my $45 TJMaxx fake leather boots I wore last season... and be okay with them.

   

Though the color is NOTHING like those pretty boots....  And they're not taking my breath away or anything...

But they DO have a sassy red zipper. 

And that will be good enough. Farewell, pretty leather boots. I hope I can get my money back on ya.

(For the rest of you, though, who DON'T suffer from Fat Calves... go buy those boots. SO pretty, and really quite reasonably priced for real leather calf-high boots. Check them out here: Nicole Ranger Riding Boot. They got great reviews! I promise not to be too jealous of those of you that CAN wear these.)

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On to happier thoughts.

Today, Joe took Noah to go play soccer. A perfect brisk first day of October... perfect for soccer.

In his absence, I enjoy seeing the signs of Noah around the house. Lately, it's been dress up props to fuel his vast imagination.

 

Both sets of dress-up stuff were "potty prizes" for Noah's potty training. He earned them one piece at a time. He LOVES them.

I love that even when he's not in the house, he's everywhere.

And Lucy? She came with me this gorgeous, crisp morning, to the Clayton Farmer's Market. She sat happily in my sling and I puttered happily around the offerings... Finally settled on some winter squash, some sweet potatoes, and some locally made chocolate, Little Dipper Chocolate.   It was a perfect little outing, capped by the easiest put-down for her nap that I've ever had-- she was dozing right when we got home, so she let me take her gently out of the carseat and re-settle her in her crib-- barely a fuss at the transition. I love that girl.

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Speaking of naps, these are rare "nap photos" of LuLu taken the other day. Normally I am so paranoid about her getting good sleep that I would NEVER risk waking her by taking a camera into her room... But I had to wake her to get Noah from preschool so it was a perfect opportunity... and she could wake slowly to the small camera noises I was making. I love the sequence here:

1. completely asleep...Notice her hand gripping her Bunny? We have another lovey-baby in the making!

2. A little jolt from that first shutter click

 

3. I get in a bit closer/she lets go of Bunny   4. She begins to wake. 5. Still hazy, she looks at me, not really seeing... 6. the "startle", when she really SEES me... makes me laugh, but I also feel sorry for her--- I am so sorry to wake you, sweet baby.... And at that point, I put the camera down to snuggle her, warm and sleepy and sweet...

Anyway. 

Good stuff. Well, the boys are home, so I'm off to go return those boots and buy some supplies to make a Halloween wreath. Happy Saturday to the rest of you!