and we're off...

we're off to the lake friends.  i'll check in a bit next week.  xoxo

farm life :: farm photography

isn't it funny how life turns out sometimes?

as a young adult working towards my masters degree in chicago i saw a future much different than what it is.  i imagined myself working in a big city, single... and maybe - just maybe - in my late 30's to early 40's, i would adopt a couple kiddos.

and now, here i am, doing pretty much the complete opposite.  my husband works in a big city 4 days out of the week and i hold things together on our farm.  i wake early to care for the chickens, water the gardens, then wake our two boys for a full day of summer fun while i'm off to work at the shop.

each day, as i go through these motions, i thank God that my life turned out this way.  how blessed i am to be close to my loving family for support, to have two energetic & hilariously funny kiddos, and to view this beautiful land each morning that we call home.

what surprising & amazing gifts i've been given.  xoxo.

hunting for lightening bugs :: night photography

one of my favorite summer traditions is catching lightening bugs.  we fill up the bug jar at dusk, then fall asleep with them as our night light.  it's one of those magical moments of childhood...

kimono :: diy fashion

i was at goodwill the other day and found this beautiful robe.  i never wear robes, so i started thinking about how i could wear it.  since fringe is so 'in' right now, i had no problem finding some at the fabric store.  i simply cut the robe off at my desired length and then sewed on the fringe.  what do you think?

happy weekend friends.  xoxo

a young ballerina :: dance photography

living vicariously through my subject... that's acceptable right?  

xoxo

lensbaby at dusk :: nature photography

do you prefer morning or evening?!   there are two 'golden hours' each day - right as the sun comes up, and then again before sun goes down.  both of these are a favorable times for photographs because harsh shadows can be eliminated and things tend to glow.

i flip-flop on my preference, but generally tend to photograph at night because i'm busy in the mornings.

plus, i'm in love with a lovely sky.... one full of clouds and color.  chances are, at least here in the midwest, you'll get a more beautiful sky at dusk than at sunrise.

xoxo friends.

lensbaby in the morning :: nature photography

now that summer is in full swing, the heat & humidity is rising more than i would like (unless i have plans to swim that day).  i have to get up and out early if i want to work on anything in our giant yard.  or... i could just let it over grow...

i'll probably do that.

father's day :: family photography

father's day is tomorrow and we are going to frame this for hubby.  shhhh - don't tell him.

feather printing :: diy

need a quick card for a quick note?  feather printing with ink couldn't be simpler.  in fact, many objects could work this way too!  xoxo

"bump" is three :: birthday photography

little "bump" is 3... can you believe it?  as i love to do, he woke up the morning of his birthday to a little 'party' that just so happened to also serve as a backdrop for photos!  there i go being sneaky again.

i stacked up all of his presents facing the rocking chair, so he naturally sat in it to open them.  this put him in perfect position for photos!  the cute #3 came from his grandma - she wrapped his gift and stuck it on top like a bow.  what a wonderful prop it turned out to be!

besides fringing the paper streamers (which took longer than i thought) this may have been the easiest photo set-up yet!  now if only i can get him to actually give me a real smile while looking at the camera.

happy birthday to "bump"!

baby bird :: nature photography

when baby birds peak out their tiny heads over the nest each spring, i am always amazed.   i feel like they have already made such an accomplishment being that they were once just a small fragile egg.  besides predators (like daisy dog), they have to survive such crazy wind & rain!  not to mention the silly mom's that build their nest in an unreasonable place that they have trouble returning too (like inside a garage).

i'm just sayin...  baby birds are impressive.

sidewalk chalk scavenger hunt :: kids

a fun, outdoor game that is secretly educational?!  teehee, i'm so sneaky with my boys.

last week, "the monster" and "bump" had a friend over.  after riding circles around our garage on their bikes for a couple hours, i brought out the sidewalk chalk.  we traced our bodies, drew on funny hats and then i told them we were going do a scavenger hunt.  i think just the word "hunt" got them excited!

this was a great game for each of their ages because it forced the oldest to practice reading each assignment and the younger boys practiced counting & learning their numbers.  we went all the way to twelve and i sent them looking for such things as rocks, sticks, leafs, toys, worms, and trash.

do you have a favorite outdoor game that is also educational?

mossy school desk :: garden inspiration

since opening the shop, kind and generous souls offer to me the rich history tucked away in their attics.  some items are in beautiful condition and others... well, not so much.  but, because i have hope and optimism, i usually take anything they offer with thankfulness and decide i may use it for something someday.

my dentist gave me this desk.  it had been sitting outside, in his garden, for years and was falling to pieces.  the wood was rotting and he thought maybe i could use the iron legs for a project.  after staring at the desk for a couple months, i decided to leave it as is, but cover with moss.  what do you think?!

i imagine this under a big willow tree in a vine-covered yard, next to an old stone fountain.  it's magical and dreamy...  like a secret garden.  or the garden in 'great expectations'.  it belongs somewhere incredible.

if you are in town, you should stop by urban sassafras to check it out!  you will love it, i promise.

floral market bag :: diy

be a style icon at the market with this diy canvas bag decor.  just think... you could be as cool as "the monster".