I am so excited to share our ‘Fresh 48’ photoshoot by The Deerwood Company! When Indie was born, I had a similar session scheduled and had to cancel for obvious reasons. This time, it brought me such great joy to have our photographer be able to visit the mother-baby unit to photograph our littlest love in all her good health. There’s not much else to say about this other than: look at these GORGEOUS PICS!!!!!!!
Continue reading “Stevie’s “Fresh 48” Shoot!”
First thing’s first – I’m writing this, four days postpartum, from my couch with my baby. Home and healthy. Quite the 180 from Indie’s birth story, where I struggled to find my words from the NICU. Stevie’s entry, however, still packs a dramatic punch – and I am so eager to jot it all down on this blog. Read on for all the details (and some potentially graphic but really cool birth photography by my amazing husband!)
Continue reading “Stevie’s Birth Story”
Finally getting around to showing you guys what I packed in my hospital bag ahead of meeting Baby Sis! I want to preface this post by saying that, as someone who prioritizes photos and blogging, I probably pack way more than what’s actually necessary…. so take this all with a grain of salt. The reality is that all your baby really needs is YOU (and an outfit to go home in!). Focus on the essentials for yourself – what will make you comfortable – and the rest will fall into place. It’s amazing how much the hospital actually provides you with… but some people just prefer to have their own “stuff” – and I’m one of those people! I also packed a bag like this when I had Indie and I learned very quickly that NONE OF IT MATTERS. Her birth and NICU stay made all plans go out the window and 90% of my “bag” was literally useless with the exception of a change of clothes. Do not lose sight of this! It’s so important to remember why you’re there: To get baby Earthside safe and sound. The rest is nominal. Read on to check out my full packing list this time around!
Continue reading “Hospital Bag Checklist!”
I cannot believe that in just a few short days my tiny, brand new baby will be TWO. “The days are long, but the years are short”…. isn’t that the saying? She continues to amaze us in every way. It’s been a unique and challenging year since her first birthday party (which was the last time we really gathered with all our family and friends under one roof) – and the global pandemic has gotten in the way of us having a big birthday bash for her this time around, but I’ll be damned if I let such a special time pass without a little extravagance! Read on for some behind the scenes of our themed birthday photoshoot, and of course, to see the final product!
Continue reading “TWO The Moon! Indie’s 2nd Birthday” 
It’s that time of year again! My cards have (mostly) made it to their recipients and I’m so excited to post our photoshoot here in their digital home! We always enjoy our family photo sessions with Little Nest Portraits in Westfield, NJ and as a part of their Heirloom Membership, this specific shoot is something we look forward to every year. Click to read (a little) more and to view this year’s finished product!
Continue reading “2020 Holiday Photos By Little Nest Portraits of Westfield!” 
I am extremely excited to be sharing this DIY with all of you! I worked so hard on it, and I’m a very proud mama. Indie had a play kitchen that I accidentally broke. (Surprisingly not her… me!) So I decided to invest in the $89 Ikea Duktig kitchen as a replacement, giving it a complete overhaul to make it special, functional, and eye-catching in our house. Read on for a list of supplies, a written how-to guide, and of course detail shots of the finished product!
Continue reading “Ikea DIY Play Kitchen Makeover!” 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! I’ve always loved dressing up for this holiday… maybe it was my entire youth and young adult life spent as a “theatre kid” but I get all sorts of giddy when October rolls around, and having a child only makes it more fun and more exciting! Last year we went with a woodland theme – foxes – which you can find by clicking here. This year, Indie was the only one to transform into a special, prehistoric creature. Scroll through to see a visual story of a park ranger becoming best friends with the cutest little dinosaur you ever did see!
Continue reading “Halloween 2020 is DINO-mite!” 
These are crazy times we’re living in, and I think I can say with confidence that life during a global pandemic has taken its toll somehow on each and every one of us. Since you’re here reading this blog post, you likely want to hear my two cents – so without further adieu… after 5 full months of anxiety, lockdown, uncertainty and paranoia, I’m here to advocate for living your life as normally as possible while still complying with the rules and regulations in your state. Our physical health is important but so is that of our mind and spirit. If you haven’t loosened the restrictive reigns yet, I urge you to let that weight lift off of your weary shoulders as you allow yourself to see glimpses of normalcy and let the fear of the unknown drift off to the back (or even middle) burner of your brain. This doesn’t mean you can be reckless or disrespectful of the rules – but the rules are in place for a reason, and I’m here to say that we all have permission to take them at face value and not overboard.
Here in New Jersey, we’re in a decent patch where our numbers remain trending low even after outdoor dining, indoor shopping and larger outdoor gatherings have reopened. Our “Stay At Home Order” has long been lifted, without significant spikes and with a death rate that continues to drop (even though new daily positive cases remain). We can have indoor gatherings of 25 people or less, and outdoor gatherings are capped at 250 which actually opens a lot of metaphorical doors for us Jersey locals! Masks are required indoors, and outdoors they are only required if you cannot remain socially distant. Things can change real quick if we’re not all respectful of each other’s space, but with this in mind and the confidence in the facts reported daily by our Governor, my family and I decided to take a “staycation” to a home right on the shoreline of New Jersey’s southernmost region – the seven mile island of Avalon and Stone Harbor. While the warm weather is still sticking around, if you live here in NJ – now is your chance for a mini getaway and below you’ll find some inspiration on places to go and things to do all varying by your current comfort level!
Continue reading “New Jersey Beach Staycation!”
So excited to be writing a “real” blog post right now! Lately it’s been a whole lot of milestones and just about nothing else…. but with this lockdown lasting so much longer than I think all of us really expected, we’ve had to get creative with how we’re spending our time at home. 90% of it is ultimate procrastination, laziness and boredom… but when the urge sparks to do something crazy, I answer the call! Last week I put Indie into our very own sink/milkbath photoshoot! On my weekly trip to the grocery store (mask and gloves included) I made sure to pick up a grapefruit, a navel orange, a half-quart of whole milk, and a very simple bouquet of flowers. All from your average grocery store. The supplies were about $12 total, and the photos turned out so fabulous! So I’m going to list out some DIY steps for all you mamas out there looking to get creative at home!
I hope this has inspired some of you to try this at home! After we finished Indie went straight into a real hose-down, so you might want to do this just before your kiddo’s regular bath time (as long as there’s ample natural daylight). Don’t be discouraged by your kitchen. I resisted this project for the longest time because I don’t have a white farmhouse sink and butcherblock countertops (goals!!!) but now that I see these photos, the bath itself is so prominent and everything looked perfectly in-place!
If you’ve been itching to be a better hobby-photographer (even if you shoot on your phone!) there’s no better time than now to take the plunge and try something super cool. The last thing I can recommend is to download Photoshop Lightroom for your cell phone and choose a pack of presets that speak to you to make editing a breeze! Personally, I’ve been using both of Lindsey Badenhop’s packs and I’ve been thrilled with them!
That’s all folks! Currently taking suggestions for the next fun and crazy at-home photoshoot ideas to help pass the time! What would you put inside a milkbath? Is this something you think you’d attempt? We had so much fun! More happening over on instagram so be sure to follow along!
i’m baaaaack! i’ve taken quite the blogging hiatus since becoming a mom. your every waking moment is spent focused on this tiny person (and most of your moments are, unfortunately “waking” moments!) so thanks to all my consistent readers for bearing with me while i focused on family! indie will be three months old on saturday, and we’re finally in more of a manageable routine. we get out a bunch, we’re enjoying the weather, and i’m having a much easier time navigating life with a little sidekick. read on for my first post in months! Continue reading “back to blogging! my spring collab with letote, and why it fits into my lifestyle!”
