A Legacy

I always laugh when I tell people "I used to dance", because I feel like I have to follow up that comment with "not the pole kind, but the real jazz, ballet, was the colonel on the dance team kind." It was a love of my life for many years, and as much as I would love to do it everyday in my thirties...I feel like passing the torch may be a bit safer for my elderly muscles.  I taught my girls ballet terms way before they were ever in a class, and sometimes an attempt to show them an amazing leap results in a pulled hamstring and ice packs, (for the record...i still have a mean leap though haha) my pirouettes make me a little dizzy and my toe touch can be done most successfully on a trampoline. Still, I love it! My favorite quote ever is... "life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." When we are bored in this house, we dance. When I'm feeling bad, I dance. When we are feeling silly...we dance. A peek into our window in our living room at 3pm will likely reveal a small recital going on with couches pushed back, and pandora blaring. It's what I love, and I'm so happy my efforts to brain wash my girls has been successful, because they love it too.

 


So, when the summer schedule at the studio had a spot for my itty bitty, i excitedly snatched it up. She will be my youngest dancer at a teeny tiny 2, and I think she knows more than I knew at 14. She's sort of become the studio mascot, whom they have renamed "boo". At any given moment on any given day if anyone asks her to do an arabesque, chase', leap, pirouette, or plie' she knows exactly what to do, and proudly performs on demand.


 

I was such a proud mama peeking through the thick black curtains of the dance room. Although she was a little shy at first, she jumped right in and willingly participated...might i even add, showed off a little. She wore her tutu with pride, and adored her pink ballet shoes that are two sizes too big from the moment I slipped them on her little feet.

 


The definition of a "legacy" is: "anything handed down from the past"... maybe I will never make the top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance, or chaine across a New York stage, but this tiny dancer...she just might.

 

Always Stop For Lemonade

A lemonade stand is a favorite childhood pastime.






We were preparing the final details this morning...finding the perfect ice bucket, a mason jar for our money, and 3 fresh lemons to accessorize our table, when Ashlyn asked me, "mama, did you do lemonade stands when you were little?" It brought back fond memories of flipping over a large ice chest and preparing a fresh batch of lemon flavored "Flavor Aid" (cause it was cheaper than the real stuff), and sweating it out in hopes of striking it rich. It's the quintessential summer activity, and a childhood is not complete without one good attempt at entrepreneurship.















I've said it before..."i think the love is in the details." Yes, a flipped over ice chest is just as memorable as a homemade stand, but they will remember...They will remember the sound of the hammer, painting lemony yellow stripes, and carefully crafting each letter to make the sign. It's also a testimony to what you can do with what you just have around the house.




We built this together last year. (just me and the girls). With caveman tools. A hammer, some spare nails, a left over pallet from a grass purchase, and some rotting fence wood from a neighbor. I may or may  have not done all my wood cuts with a jigsaw (fancy huh?) But, this year we just had to give her some fresh paint, and a few more nails, and I'm pretty sure she will be around for a while. As will the lasting memory of the lemonade stand with Mom.


A quick note to grown ups: You should stop at every lemonade stand. A quarter is not a lot to spare for the opportunity to brighten a child's day, validate their efforts, and make them feel important. Besides...how could you pass up this face?






Go make some lemonade!

Makin' beachy summer memories

We packed up another summer memory this weekend. I have a great appreciation for mother earth, and I love any opportunity to revel in the awe of beauty. Beaches are gorgeous. The smell and taste of salty water that lingers on your lips long after you've left.  The sound of crashing waves, squawking seagulls, the whooshing of the wind in your hair, and the beautiful sight of the golden buttery light that you can't escape as the sun slowly fades into the horizon. It's heaven, and I see why my Dad made the choice to move there shortly before he passed away.

Most of my family lives in a coastal city, yet very few of them take advantage of the gorgeousness that surrounds them every day.  I had to twist some arms to get them to join me, but I'm glad they did. We don't get to spend as much time with them as we would like, and in the crazy hectic thing called life, sometimes you forget how much you miss them.







(i love this picture of my grandpa...He's so not "beachy", and was perfectly happy watching from the car.)


My Grandmother is a first generation paparazzi. We grew up in the olan mills portrait studio, cheesing in front of fake waterfalls, and winter wonderland's. The fondest memories of my childhood are getting to wear lipstick and blush before a session, and playing in the studio where my grandmother worked. I think I get my love of photography through her.










that little one is always trying to steal the spotlight







(props to the sister for unknowingly using the rule of thirds, and executing some superb composition in this shot)






Summer is in full swing at our house, yet I feel like the time is fleeting. There are only 6 weeks left to make the best of it and,I have a couple of night owl's calling me right now to join in their puzzle fun.
Goodnight.

The summer list

Summer is in full swing, and a trip to the beach is in the works this week. I'm psyched! June through August are the 3 months out of the year where things really slow down. We stay up later, sleep a little longer (okay, maybe a lot longer), and we do whatever we want, whenever we want to do it. We have prepared a list chock full of fun stuff, and I thought I'd share. Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration to get the juices flowin' in the "what should we do" department. We don't always get to everything on our list, but the fun of just putting it together makes the essence of summer even more present.





We've been able to cross off...

Take a boat ride









Face painting



and the thrift store fashion show (give them 5$ each and let them see how well they can put together an outfit)
I must say...i've taught them well. both girls scored shoes,a skirt, and a top and my total was $8.46! I tried hard not to influence their choices, they took one hour, and were very proud of themselves by the end.







Use this time while your sweet babies are at home to make it extra special.  Put on the brakes...inhale the smell of sunscreen on their sun kissed bodies, and let the sticky popsicles melt down their little forearms...it's SUMMER!

edited to add: Sharing this schedule I found on pinterest. We will definitely be using in conjunction with our "list" to keep things fun.

Source: somewhatsimple.com via Kim on Pinterest

I heart faces photography challenge "All Boy"

I always knew I wanted three.

It's funny how in your immature girl heart you think you get to chose the sex of your future children. Almost as if you write it down it will come true. I had 3 names carefully inscribed in the pages of my senior book..."Alyssa" "Ashlyn" and "David-Michael (cause I thought hyphenated boy names were cool).

2 girls and a boy.

Low and behold, years later my crazy love for all things pink, ruffled, and smeared with sparkle lip gloss would have me praying for a third girl after being blessed with the first 2, and I got my wish. It's not that I didn't want a boy, or think that they were insanely awesome. I just love the dynamic between sisters. I love my sister so much that I thought the gift of 2 would be something they would cherish forever.

But, I never sat to think about what he might be missing... Those t ball, snuggled up on the couch watching game moments. The joy of seeing your son run across a football field at his last senior game, or having him call you when he's elbow deep in car grease wondering how the heck to put it all back together.

This man though... He's never complained once. He embraces the tutu, and watches Hannah Montana re-runs. Yet, he still takes the time to show them how to meticulously place their fingers to spin a perfect spiral with their pink football.

I get asked often... "are you trying for the boy?", but we are in agreement. Three completes us. So this little one... this is as close to boy as he got. She's spunky and energetic. Loves her toy cars, and inspecting bugs, but spends her days in frilly dresses and ribbon tied pigtails. Maybe not "all boy", but boy enough for him.

 

Photographer wannabe

So, there is this wonderful think called "social networking". I think it's amazing that now-a-days when you want to keep in touch with someone it isn't impossible. 10 years ago, when you graduated high school...that was it. You hardly ever saw those people again. Accept for those few freak run-in's at the grocery store, but lets face it, it's usually not the people we "want" to run in to. I love how now when I do run in to people that are my friends on facebook I know who they are, I remember their names, and I recognize their kids. (i suppose that could be creepy)

 So this girl, we go way back...
Like in 8th grade we liked the same boy, and hated each other way back. Once we got into high school and got involved in extra curriculars her a head cheerleader, and me the colonel of the dance team...we found ourselves sharing locker rooms in the dancer/cheerleader gym, and well, before you knew it we were pretending to be cousins.

So when I excitedly found out she was expecting through Facebook, I begged her to let me practice my photography on her. Can we say gorgeous? This was my first time doing an actual "session". I've taken pictures of my own kids, and neighbors, but had yet to venture out into the great unknown world of in home photography. It was a wonderful experience. It was light, funny, we chatted, caught up, and I got to marvel and document the blessed miracle of one growing a human being inside them. By the middle of the shoot I had her cracking up calling the golden buttery light streaming from her window "sunlight porn." It truly was. Her beautiful, perfectly round middle exuded the very essence of motherhood. I will say, this shoot has made me want to study more. I have a love for capturing beauty.

The shutter is a magical thing, and I feel so blessed to be able to see the unexpected wonder through it. When people put their camera's down...I pick mine up. My favorite shots of her are just that...her throwing her head back in laughter holding her sweet belly as I crack a joke about light porn, or catching her sweeping her hair to the side, and in that second pressing my shutter to capture a gorgeous natural shot that was neither posed or coerced.


Photography is a beautiful thing!

  *insert lazy excuse here* I have had this blog post waiting to be published for weeks, and in those few weeks my sweet friend just went and had a baby (techincally within days of this shoot) so, yay! a two for one. Here are some of her sweet girl too. Congratulations Angel and Jason on your new bundle. Welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood, and pink!