Archives: July 2012


CHANGE IS GOOD

So, I feel like I’m due for a catch up post.  I’ve been a little MIA from the ol blog the last 2 weeks.  SO much is going on right now in my life…lots of change and hard decisions.  Last week I packed up my bags and said farewell to working at Jedidiah.  I had been working there as a freelance graphic designer  since Rylee’s birth, although I still had a space there in the office that I worked out of.  Everyone joked that I was the “in-house freelancer”.  A very fitting term in fact.  And prior to working as a freelance graphic artist, I worked as the head of design for 6, count them, 6 years!  Now that’s a long time!  I started out as a baby at 20…straight out of college.  So many memories and relationships have been built through the company that it’s hard to even wrap my head around the journey I’ve been on….a journey that I decided to end last week, for now anyway.  I cried a little as I was packing all my things into my car.  I didn’t think I would get emotional because I knew I was making the right decision and following my heart….but with so much history there,  I guess I was fooling myself to think that I could hold back the tears.  I just came to a place in my life where I knew that something had to give.  I was trying to juggle too much.  I wanted so badly to be able to do it all, but in my heart of hearts I knew that meant sacrificing being the mom that I wanted to be, and want to be, for Rylee.  And with that, my decision was made.  There have been a number personal (art) goals I have been wanting to pursue for years but just haven’t found the time, and I now feel the freedom to chase after those.  And while that probably means not making much money for a while, I am really ok with that as long as I’m doing what I love, proud of the mother I am, and working towards an end goal.  So alas, my re-brand just might be a reality in the next few months and the beginning stages of my very own invitation line just MIGHT be in the works. (I’ve been dreaming of that one since age 8). OHHH weeee the possibilities! I’ll keep ya updated on the process. Thanks for joining me on the adventure.  Dreaming up some good stuff for this ol blog here too! Change is good.  Real good.

 

And on another note, the little lady is 11 months today.  Next month, we won’t be counting in months anymore…but in YEARS! Um excuse me!  P L E A S E  S T O P  G R O W I N G. I’m already late in planning a party. Nothing over the top….but something special.  Any brilliant theme ideas? I’m off to stalk pinterest.


INSPIRED BY: AMY SCHEEPERS

How lovely are these photos by Amy Scheepers!? I first discovered Amy through lookbook.nu for her cute sense of style.  I don’t know why, but I feel like she’s one of those girls I would instantly be friends with if I knew her in real life.  You know those ones!?  You read their blogs and look at their photos and you think…we really ought to be friends! haha.  Aaaanyway , when I went to check out her blog, I was floored by her photography work.  She has such an eye for capturing beauty and light with each shot.  So dreamy isn’t it?  You can see plenty more of Amy’s photoshoots over on her website.  And oodles of outfit inspiration on her fashion blog, Wolf & Wood.


MADDINKA

A new illustration I did for Maddy!  You can also see the new header on her blog.  She’s got killer style! Just check out her lookbook!


DREAMSTATE

Crown  – DIY //  Top – Anthropologie (similar) //  Pants – 7 for all mankind (similar)  //  Shoes – Steve Madden

Remember back in April when I shared this DIY flower crown? ( I can’t believe it was that long ago!) Well, alas I am sharing the photos I took wearing it! The last and final series of our pastel shoot with JOIELALA.  It’s my fave! But I’m a sucker for flower crowns and pretty light.  If I could wear a flower crown every day I would.  Well I guess I COULD….but let’s be real.  Somedays I don’t even get out of my pajamas.  Yes, it’s true.  Rylee and I both. haha.  Actually, today is one of those days.  I am feeling a little under the weather…so soup and PJ’s and Teen Mom re-runs it is.  I used to not mind sick days (unless it was a REALLY sick day) because it’s kind of nice to have an excuse to rest.  But now as a mom, sick days are the worst because with an almost 1 year old on my hands….rest is just not an option.  How do you moms do it!?  Anyway, we’re hanging in there!

And guess what……best news ever…..I FOUND MY CAMERA!!!! Well, I didn’t, Hertz Rental Car in Minneapolis did.  They called this morning and I just about fainted in excitement.  I was almost 100% sure we didin’t have it in the car with us when we were traveling home, but I am so glad I was wrong! All that moping around for nothing! ;)  I really thought it was a goner.  Thanks to all of you who emailed and sent me helpful links to try to track it down.  Ya’ll are the sweetest!

I am working on a pretty flower crown girl illustration now, so I’ll be sharing that with you soon. xo.


BACK HOME AND WITHOUT A CAMERA

 

I’m back! As good as it was to return home, yesterday was a nightmare when I came to the realization that I lost my Canon SLR camera.  My stomach turned to knots as I frantically searched our bags, the car, the house……I called the rental car place and the airport’s lost and found, and asked my grandmas to scour the cabin in case we accidentally left it there.  No luck.  To be real, a few tears were shed.  Not only did I take that camera everywhere….but all the photos and video I took of our trip were poof, gone.  So now, all I have are these instagram pics to remember the fun we had.  I know there will always be the memories…and that camera’s can be replaced (eventually, as I save my pennies!) but the feeling of loosing it made me sick.  There is still a small flicker of hope inside that it might turn up somewhere….but it’s not looking good.

Aside from a bad ending, we had such a good time.  The first two days were torturously hot.  Over 100 and the worst humidity I’ve ever felt. I forget what a difference humidity plays when it’s hot.  Give me dry heat any day….but a wet heat is a whole new beast!  We pretty much lived on the lake to stay comfortable, which was completely ok by me. Rylee got to meet all of her baby cousins.  It still blows my mind that they are all just months apart in age. Rylee, 10 months, Jonah, 9 months, and Charlie, 8 months.  I got about a thousand photos of all of them together, but of course, not even one on my phone.  But it was pretty cute to see them interact together.  Rylee is still the peanut of the trio but by far the best ‘mover’.  I realized how much of a busy body she really is compared to the boys.  Maybe it’s just a girl thing, or the fact that she’s so tiny, but i’ve got my hands full with this one!  Anyway….we had about the most “all-american” fourth of July I could dream up. Family, babies, cabin, lake, boat rides, fishing, campfires, sketchy fireworks…(yes, one did in fact explode at our feet and nearly kill us all).  We stopped after that one. ha. I miss Wisconsin already.  It’s a place I can see us coming back to year after year with our kid(s).

 

 

One of the highlights of the trip for me was to watch Rylee learn to stand.  (And that is another reason i’m so sad about the lost camera!)  I caught her standing up for the very first time on video and taking her first baby step.  It’s killing me not to have that anymore.  Everyday she gets more confident (and I get more terrified!).  A few too many face plants already, and I am sure there are more of those to come.  I think it’s just a matter of weeks before she’ll be walking.  Eek! I’ve got quite the mixed feelings about it!