Maternity Shoot

Andi Mae Photography

I'm going to share with you this week all the professional pics I've been lucky enough to have taken.  I was so so thankful that we were able to squeeze these in just days before Luna was born!  I wanted to have some good photos, but I must admit that some maternity photos really make me cringe so I didn't know if I wanted any taken.  You really have to trust someone with maternity photos I think.  Well, during most of my pregnancy I didn't know anyone I could trust- I was afraid if I'd hire someone I would be sitting forced to take awkward half naked belly shots and I would hate the memory of me looking really awkward with a basketball belly captured forever.  Well- then sometime in the fall I started getting to know these blogger girls in real life.  I just got to know Andi and was afraid I would be a little too forward asking her to take some photos, but I had this last minute strong strong desire to have these moments captured.  So I e-mailed Andi hoping she could squeeze it in, but thinking that maybe she would be too busy.  I was so so thankful and felt so at ease with her.  Obviously Sam did too.  You must hire Andi to take some photos for you.  I'm telling you, she has a gift and a special way of capturing life. I love every single photo she took.  You can see a few more here.  I think you know when a photographer is talented when you feel so so very happy and it brings you back to that moment every time you look at them.  It's a sweet memory of us just before our family became 3!  I don't think we had photos of us taken like that since our wedding, it was so fun!

I can't wait to have Andi take some more cute candid shots of our little family!

Random Quick Friday Post

*Luna had her first tooth break through yesterday- and hadn't been that upset since newborn age.  Oragel, Hyland's tablets, teething biscuits, teething toys- the only thing that worked was Tylenol.  She woke up smiling and happy today.  Let's hope that all the teeth aren't this much of a struggle

*I'm in major Spring cleaning mode and just cleared out my wardrobe and Sam did the same.  This was so needed since we share one tiny closet between the two of us and one dresser.  We're going to try to sell some at Fringe and Fray.  Oh how I love that store.  It ups Spokane's cool factor in my book.  They buy and sell Anthro type of clothes.

*I feel so stupid to admit this- but I'm starting to try out Fly Lady's cleaning tips.  Oh she's such a dork- and I feel like a cheesy mom- but I like the daily cleaning thing of focusing on one room each week.  I only look at the e-mail they send on Sunday that shows what to do on each day of the week.  I started getting the e-mails long ago when I saw it on House on Hill road and kinda made fun of it and never did it.  Now that we're living in a smaller place I'm feeling the urge to purge.

It's the first weekend in a long time that we can just chill and get some things done.  Are you doing anything fun?

Diner Napkins

I bought this napkin holder to sell...  But now I'm not selling it.  I had a free hour to sew, Sam was watching Luna and I made these napkins.  Sam asked why I was choosing to make napkins, and not the 5 other things I should have been working on.  Like gifts, or stuff for farm chicks.  Well, sometimes I just need some instant gratification.  I pictured pulling cloth napkins out of this holder and I just had to do it right then.  I love this fabric.  It was one of my favorites and I was going to hoard it.  I'm so happy I decided to use it to make some napkins.  This way I'll get to see the happy fabric every day.  I think I'm going to be making more from my favorite fabric.  I must admit the first time I have really messy hands I  may not want to wipe for fear of staining these.  I'm sure I'll get over that soon.  And that is why I need to make many more.  If one is ruined no big deal.  Practical sewing is so satisfying.  I love the little star on it, it makes it a little homier than just the plain jane ones.

I also made a few bibs for friends with this fabric.  Baby items are also satisfying to make- quick, easy, and oh so cute.

Tell me, are you making anything lately?  And what are some good fun easy projects to use up your favorite fabrics?

Lovable Luna

At 4 months I'm loving:

*How she turns her head spontaneously and looks at me with her sparkling eyes and flashes a huge grin.

*The way she always wraps her fingers around me

*The way she chews on her thumb

*Her instincts- she just started to grab things and really hold on

*That she doesn't seem to mind 90 minute walks

*Her little giggle

*Kissing her smooth soft little head hundreds of times every day (not even exaggerating)

*She's going to be tall like me.  She's off the charts at 27 inches and quickly outgrowing the cute baby clothes

*Her somewhat regular 3 hour afternoon nap

*How she is rocking the vintage clothes

*Her ever growing bald spot

                         

*These old lady glasses in baby size that were given to us for free from the kind lady at a thrift store on the first sunny day of the season!

* Her little arm wrapped around her dad

*These cute pajamas from grandma

* These chubby ankles

*These pictures of us

  *Her strength is growing every day. She likes to be on her tummy and can really flip!

 *Crawling into bed between these two late at night

  *Her long eyelashes

  *Her explorations and bath time swims

 *Her first piggy back ride

 *How she sleeps with her hands behind her head (She used to sleep with her fingers wrapped around her blanket.

*This face

Appreciating a Walkable Neighborhood

I love walking on South Altamont.  The weather is getting warmer and signs of spring are cropping up everywhere.  Ok- so the view was amazing at our last place but we were confined to walking in one little loop- not so fun.  I can't wait to check out all the neighborhoods in this area.  There are some amazing old houses that are awesome.  I get so inspired after long walks.  I think taking pictures while walking is my favorite kind of photography. I think you'll see many more of these posts.  There are 16 pictures here and that isn't even all of them.   Enjoy the pics!  

 I love seeing bright pops of color peeking through from the brown and gray debris of winter.

 Can I admit that I'm secretly hoping to get to know the owner of this place.  My goal by the end of the summer is to be invited to tea in this little room.  Creepy and stalkerish- yes- but if I walk when they are doing yard work I can chat it up right?  And having a cute baby helps- doesn't it?

  I'm hoping to get some good gardening ideas from the owners of this place.

 And this is my dream place.  I also need to get to know the owners of this place.  And my agenda here is to let them know that if they ever want to sell the place they wouldn't even need to put their place on the market.  Sam and I want to turn this place into a bed and breakfast/wedding facility.  Many of these properties have two houses on their lot.  And after running a bed and breakfast I realized that it is ideal to live in your own separate house.  We could live in the other house and have the best of both worlds.  The lot is huge, which means plenty of space for gardening and chickens.  And it even has some woods in the backyard.  But they have neighbors, so it's not as lonely as the country.  This place has 10 bedrooms.  Couldn't you imagine beautiful weddings taking place here in the summer?  Of course I looked up all the stats on zillow.  Am I a complete freak?  Does anyone else do this kind of daydreaming?

 If I walk far enough, I see this great view.

 More signs of spring.

 Spotting this red trailer made me happy.  Doesn't it look cheerful?  I imagined what kind of memories were made inside of it.  It made me reminisce the happy days we spent in our van.  I also was day dreaming about more trips in our van as a family of 3.

 This place was kinda cool.  Reminded me of a Frank Lloyd Wright place.  I thought they did a good job of modernizing it.  I just love this neighborhood.  It has every style of house imaginable.

 There are big beautiful trees that make the sidewalks crack.  My shins were so bruised from the stroller jamming into them.  I am definitely thinking of investing in a jogging stroller, even if I have no plans of jogging.

Luna seems to like the walks too!

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

This is the best and easiest sugar cookie recipe you will find.  Back when I was a cake decorator a fellow decorator shared this recipe and now it's the only one I use for sugar cookies.  I love it because it's great for last minute rolling.  Usually you need to refrigerate your dough for several hours before you can roll it out, but not with this recipe.  You can mix it up, roll it out, throw it in the oven for 4 minutes and you're ready to decorate.  I like to roll mine out a little thicker for a soft cookie.

Sugar Cookies:

1 Cup Soft Butter

1 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cream of tartar (this is the secret ingred. for allowing you to roll them out right away!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Roll out.  Cut out.  Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes.  Enjoy!

Frosting

I like this frosting the best.  But if you want to do the piping like I did in the pictures below you will need royal icing.  Sorry to be confusing, but I like the taste of this frosting best.  Royal icing doesn't taste the best, but it makes for the prettiest cookies!

3/4 Cup Soft Butter

4    Cups Powdered Sugar

3    T water

1    tsp vanilla

1    egg white

Sift powdered sugar.  Combine butter sugar and water.  Mix well.  Add vanilla and egg white and mix well.  Add food coloring if you'd like.  Have fun frosting the cookies!

I wanted to do a tutorial on how to do flood work with pretty designs, but it's kinda tricky to photograph at midnight!  I made these cookies for my dear friend's baby shower.  We were celebrating the anticipation of Lucy Wren.  I didn't get a chance to snap many pics from the shower, but it was gorgeous.  I have some talented friends who know how to throw a party.  I made this little embroidery hoop sign.

And here are the pictures from the valentine cookie decorating party at my house.