fashion friday fail

so I had this brilliant post planned for my photo blog, where I was going to showcase outfit ideas for the photographer (since there are so many directed at the client).  I have been so inspired lately by the lovely Natalie and her blog, where she mixes the latest styles based on what's in her closet.  She has perfected the 'outfit pose' and I had visions that I would look just as cute, but alas, I have work to do.  I am putting together some great fall outfits thanks to these blogs and Pinterest.  Who know, I might even do a 30-for-30 remix.  Baby steps, folks, baby steps.  :)

Anyway, I thought about dragging out the tripod and the remote but then my little assistant wanted to help me and asked if she could take pictures.  "I want to be the tophograther!"  :)

I let her use my old camera and we got to work.  Needless to say, she owned it like a diva.  Telling me to pose, telling Parker to pose, and even taking pictures of random people around the lake.  I have about a hundred images of blur, but it was a fun exercise and she got really into it.  Who knows, there might be a new sherriff in town!

Even though I didn't get anything I can use for my blog, I did get a huge chuckle when I downloaded them onto my computer.  It's a little peek into a 4 year old's mind:

TGIF!  Stay warm this weekend!
XOX
Erika
PS - Oh, and in the true spirit of fashion remixes, here are the outfit details:  b&w striped t-shirt - H&M; green jacket - Target; white scarf - LLBean; blue skinny jeans - GAP; boots - Clark; sunglasses - Coach; earrings - no idea! :)

ah-dee-os

Emma and her dad share a bond over old country music.  Or as Roger would say, the GOOD country music.  Whenever they drive together, you'll catch them singing along to vintage Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and even David Allan Coe (oops).  I finally caught a little of her repertoire on our way to school this morning.

And don't worry.....I had my eye on the road.  I promise.  :)

pinky tea

Saturday was a blustery, but beautiful fall day.  The plan was to go pick a pumpkin at the local farm, but Emma vetoed the idea a few minutes before arrival.  Not knowing what else to do, we drove through horse country for a while and ended up in Sykesville.  Not big, but a charming little street of antique shops and tea houses.

We stopped for our first ever Victorian tea party.  Complete with ladies in hats, mismatched floral china, vintage wedding dresses hanging on the wall, and a collection of Victorian memorabilia.  The shop owner thought Emma needed to have her very own photo shoot. 

This is Roger's nervous smile.  He's not entirely sure he belongs here :)

 One lump or two?

 Her first cup of REAL tea!

 I had the pumpkin tea - not bad!

 Pinky's up!

 So cute.

walking through town...

graciously allowing me to work on my posing arsenal.  this one was their idea!  :)

decisions, decisions

Holiday-card-decision-time is one of my favorite struggles of the year.  I LOVE a great holiday card.  I have a little collection that I've saved in a box of my favorites over the years.  I love peeking at them from time to time.  Because communication is so electronic these days, it seems that holiday cards are the last remaining pure experience of postal mail.  From beginning to end, it's an experience. It hits your senses.  It's visceral. 

You get the card in the mail (what a surprise!), you read the name (it's for you! how is your name written? who is it from?), you feel the envelope in your hands (is it heavy? soft? textured? thick? large?), you notice the stamp and maybe the date or the mailing location, you open the envelope (are you a purist and go from the top? or practical and open from the side?), you read the card, touch the paper, open it or turn it over, you experience the sentiments and you (if you're like me) probably hang it somewhere for others to see.  Like I said, from beginning to end, it's an experience.  And.....if you're like me.....you appreciate the little details like great photos (natch), an interesting paper texture, a 3D design, amazing handwriting, a special pen used or even a whimsical stamp. I cherish them as little works of art.

Because of this special process, I love making ours as unique and as visceral as I can.  It may be lost on some people, but that's ok.  I do it because *I* enjoy it.  I know most people like pictures, especially with little ones who grow leaps and bounds every year.  It's fun to try and incorporate a little bit of a story of what we've done that year. If anything, I can put these in her baby book.   Generally speaking, I always lean towards more contemporary designs, but I still love a good vintage feel to the photos.  I'm such a walking contradiction.  :)

So help me decide....what do you think?

Ornament cards?

simple but high impact?

holiday newsletter?

vintage spread 1?

vintage spread 2?

PS - Any blogger users notice the GREAT changes they've made to the formatting of posts?  Hooorray! I can finally post images in the order and size I want, rather than having to cut & paste all the time.  It was about time, folks.  :)

little pieces

There's no truth in advertising anymore. The manufacturers of Squinkies and Polly Pocket boast that their products help kids with fine motor skills.

I think what they leave out is the fact that it's all a giant conspiracy to see how soon Mom can stick a fork in her eye trying to keep track of all those surgeon-inspired pieces. Boy do I miss the days of infant toys - so big that tidying up took about 15 seconds. What was I sweating back then?! :)

Head --> Wall.  What about you?  How do you keep the little stuff corralled?

fare thee well

R.I.P. MAM pacifiers

9.2007 - 9.2011

Well, it's official. We are paci free. It's a little bittersweet to tell you the truth. A part of her will be changed forever. While I know that I didn't have to wait FOUR years, I also feel confident knowing that a) they provided her comfort and companionship and b) she was ready to part with them. Somehow, the stars aligned and the process was barely a blip on our screen. She amazes me daily.

Not that I think this is a plan that anyone else would follow, it worked for us. 6 months ago, the dentist gently suggested that I enforce a sleeping-only rule with the paci's. Well, it was good in theory, except that the only time she slept was at night, and there were still many transition times that she used them for. Nevertheless, I started planting the seed that when she turned four, it was a good time to say goodbye to the paci's. Sometimes I mentioned that this 'rule' came from the dentist, but I didn't emphasize it. I wanted her to feel empowered, and I also had fear that she would start to hate the dentist. :)

So we had a good 6 months to work the hype. I occasionally mentioned that it might be hard, but that she was learning and mastering other things that were hard, and how I would be right there with her. I was terrified - not gonna lie. She was a tried-and-true paci addict. It got to be the only way to keep her from talking (!!!!) so I was always secretly grateful for 3 minutes of quiet.

On the eve of her 4th birthday, we talked about it, and how I was so excited for her turning four, and how she has so many things to look forward to this this year (riding her bike, learning new letters in school, doing gymnastics & ballet, etc), and how they might be hard, but that I believed in her. I hadn't come up with a 'plan' yet, for how I was going to remove them. She was never thrilled with the idea of a Paci Fairy taking her beloved jewel tones to anyone else. So I just came out and asked her what she wanted to do.

And brilliance of all brilliance - she had what I think is a stroke of genius. She said she wanted to put them on a necklace. A necklace! Right?!?!! How cool is that?!? I knew it would work. I would poke a hole through the tip, and they basically wouldn't work after that. So we did, and she loved it. She helped me string them. It worked.


Now that they were inoperable, we had to get through the nefarious bedtime. The first night actually went rather well. I kept her busy that day on purpose. The only real tough moment was in the car, after dinner, and we had a long drive back from Arlington. She really missed those paci's, really cried out for them, rued the day we had ever put them on a necklace and I felt awful being stuck in the driver's seat while she cried huge crocodile tears. But I held her hand, and we made it through the drive, and that night she went to bed without even mentioning it. I know it's crazy that this is such a big deal to evoke such an elaborate write up, but I am just so proud of her, and even proud of myself for following her lead. I think she genuinely was old enough to appreciate the significance (either that, or I just waited longer than I needed to, ha!)

Anyway, the next two nights were just as painless. During the day, she was so proud to announce to anyone who would listen that she got rid of the paci's. At night we just spent a few more minutes winding down. The Paci Fairy did still come, but she wrote a note instead (an idea I got from Pinterest, natch), and left behind a "Baby Alive" doll.


She still talks ALL. THE. TIME. and I don't have a mute button anymore, but we are very happy to spend a few extra minutes snuggling instead. :)

You go, girl!