Yes, it’s a lot of work, and yes, there are many days when I just want to hide under a blanket until they go to sleep… but moments like this make it totally worth it.
Tag Archives: photo
i’m guessing it doesn’t get easier, huh?
We’ve had some amazing fall days over the last few weeks… I’m soaking it all up as fast as I can because I know in just a few short months it will be cold and snowy again. Last weekend we took a trip to the coast to visit family and I had a photo shoot with a nice young fella, and this weekend we spent Saturday morning at the Common Ground Fair, baking in the unseasonably warm sun.
“Getting out” seems to be the theme of the last few weeks, to the point where I’m looking forward to a weekend that doesn’t involve, well, anything. No plans, no deadlines, no long car rides or coolers–don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with Tim and Ellie doing all these things. It’s especially fun to see the world through Ellie’s young eyes–simple things like apple-picking or a walk along the coast take on a whole new meaning when I see the joy reflected on her face. We’ve made some wonderful memories and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. But I’m also exhausted! I think hibernation is in order, if only for a weekend or two.
Tim, being the saint that he is, gave me a few hours’ break this weekend so I could work on my latest project, a personal web portal. Now that my personal blog is separate from my photography and illustration websites, I wanted a single place that brings everything together in an attractive way. I’m so pleased with the way the portal came out, especially where it was built in just a few hours. Beyond that, I’m finishing up the latest influx of custom orders and working on a backlog of blog posts for Calobee Doodles. It feels nice (and a little crazy-making) to be so productive.
For the record, my kid is growing up way too fast. I don’t think I expected to have a miniature human being bossing me around so soon or so eloquently. We’re living with a very short, very loud, very temperamental camp director. It’s ridiculously cute when she marches up to Tim and demands “Hugs, Daddy, hugs!” Almost makes up for the fact that she’s recently decided sleeping is for losers. Maybe it is, but I am fine with being a well-rested loser!
I feel like I’m juggling everything, but just barely. T & I have talked about another kid, but I can’t imagine how that will work, logistically. It seems like we’re struggling to fit in everything we currently want and need to do, and what kind of load will a second kid add to the mix? On the other hand, I felt much the same way before Ellie was born–hard to imagine thinking of life before Ellie as “busy,” but I distinctly remember asking myself incredulously, “How do people with kids do it?!?”
Now that I have one of my own, the answer is… I have no freaking clue. Nope. No idea how we manage to keep the house relatively clean, make sure Ellie is clothed, bathed and fed, get a full night’s sleep, work a full-time job, have a relationship with my husband, maintain friendships and spend time with my various creative endeavors. In fact, at least one of those things always gets lost in the shuffle, and it seems the key is to accept that you can’t do it all, but you shouldn’t completely neglect anything, either. Hah-hah, because that’s just as easy as it sounds, of course!
Despite the sheer amount of Crazy that seems to have infiltrated our lives, I don’t want to wait too much longer before we start thinking about future baby Moore. I’d prefer to get the baby stuff out of the way sooner rather than later, while I still (barely) have the energy for pregnancy and 3 a.m. feedings, before I’ve completely forgotten what it’s like to live on three hours of sleep at a stretch. I think (I hope) Ellie will eventually appreciate having a sibling, too. Just one more minion in the arsenal as far as she’s concerned!
labor day weekend
What a gorgeous weekend! Totally makes up for the fact that last week was so unbearably hot. I say it every year, but summer is fast out-staying its welcome. I’m ready for a cool breeze and an excuse to wear fleece, and this weekend delivered on that promise.
On Saturday we drove to Freeport to see one of my absolute favorite musicians in concert. Now, I’m not what you’d call an “audiophile.” I don’t have an extensive collection of music, and my taste has been called into question on more than one occasion by an embarrassing number of people, including my parents, my brother, several roommates, and even my husband. I don’t make a concentrated effort to seek out new music. There are very few songs that move me to tears. In short, music is nice, but it’s not one of my “things” like it is for some people.
That said, there are a select few musicians who I get ridiculously excited about, whose albums I will always buy without hesitation, and who I’d happily pay good money to see in concert multiple times. Joshua Radin is one of those people. I’ve had a total crush on his music since I first heard “Winter.” When I heard he was coming to Freeport as part of L.L. Bean’s Summer in the Park concert series, I literally squealed like a schoolgirl.
The concert itself was wonderful. The weather was perfect, we had excellent seats, and the atmosphere was friendly and low-key. We got to the park several hours in advance so we could reserve our spot, did a little shopping at Bean’s, then just hung out. We watched the band set up and play a couple songs for sound check (if I hadn’t forgotten my camera, I could have gotten a picture with Josh at that point–so bummed! But he did wave and smile at me, so that was neat.) Ellie was so well-behaved, charming everyone around us. She didn’t make a peep throughout the whole concert… just laid her head on my chest and snuggled up. I cannot think of a more perfect way to spend an evening than with my family, listening to my favorite music and cuddling with my kiddo.
Yesterday we were treated to this beautiful sight for a few moments, and I’m glad I had the presence of mind to grab my camera before it faded. I did very little to enhance the photo, just a slight contrast bump and white balance adjustment.
In celebration of our extra day off, we decided to take a little road trip to a local orchard for u-pick apples. Ellie had fun toddling between the trees and helping us throw the fruit into our grocery bag. I got a short video of her first apple-picking experience (she was more interested in eating the apples than picking them), then it was back home to make the first crisp of the season; so delicious!
love for the lost ones
We’re off to Canada for a few days of fun in the sun, camping, good friends, grilled food, and good music. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite images from last weekend’s shoot.
the ones who were lost
My friend Sarah gave me the old rocking horse, which was gathering dust in my guest bedroom until Sunday’s shoot. When I met up with this model for the first time, I knew she’d be perfect for this. Her long, dark hair totally inspired me. It’s amazing I’ve been able to find anyone to model for me at all, when I’m known for saying things like “You have awesome creepy-photo-shoot hair!” over coffee. During our first meeting. Because, you know, social skills really aren’t one of my strong points, apparently.
Thankfully, the lovely woman who modeled for this shoot was so easy to work with and practically knew what I wanted before I had a chance to voice my thoughts–always a good sign. She’s a natural.
the bathroom, part deux
I just realized I said I’d post pictures of the new bathroom two weeks ago and then I never did. Well, here you go:
It’s so nice to have our less-often-used stuff out of the way but easily accessible should we need it. We have plenty of room to add a third shelf and maybe some smaller shelves alongside the sink. It’s a glorified closet, but it’s DONE! Now I can focus all my worry on the other 599 projects we should be working on but aren’t.
Last week was rough, which is why I’ve been so quiet… Ellie had a cold that turned her from a sweet, darling little girl into Fussy McFusserton, Queen of Whinyland, so we spent a lot of time trying to keep her from imploding in frustration. She’s pretty much over it, but now I have a pesky sore throat and the sniffles. It just goes to show that sharing is caring. Hello, Caro, and welcome to Whinyland!
I’m itching to pick up my camera and play with some new photo props I bought at the Big Chicken Barn several weeks ago, but between bathroom renovations and sickness and custom work, I haven’t been in the right frame of mind. I’m taking a few days off this week, though, so hopefully I can shake this cold quickly and get some work done.
self-made
I’ve had this idea in my head ever since I found this old sewing machine at Goodwill over two years ago. I love the way this photo came out, and there are a handful of others in the series. I’ll probably re-shoot a few of them because the angles weren’t quite right.
These days I’m much less hesitant to try the same ideas over (and over) again… sometimes I feel like I’m “stuck” on the same themes, but I find it’s better to work through them than try to ignore them or force myself to do something I’m not as excited about, even if it means some repetition (this applies to the rest of my life as well–thanks to therapy for all those helpful insights!)
I have yet another shoot scheduled this weekend (because if I’m going to jump back in, I might as well do it with both feet, no?) this time with my dear friend Hannah, whom I haven’t seen in ages. It will be so great to work with her again! Now I just need to figure out what we’re going to do… my thoughts are all scattery this week.