hello love

serious crush.

cannot seem to get enough of this album... or more specifically this song. LOVE!!! her voice is seriously fantastic! the design of the cd & packaging is gorgeous too... bonus! happy listening.

six month mark!

six months.

six months, seriously?! yes. six months. already... of nothing.but.magic! so many huge, amazing things have fallen into place... and beautiful everyday moments to celebrate in between.  

it has taken a ridiculous amount of work to redefine what i want my life to look like and learn the importance of rest... that bit about rest sounds silly i know, but i was always so busy being in action i lost sight of all of the little things that make me sparkle. i was about the furthest thing from whole-hearted that you could possibly be, which is no good for me or my kiddos. while i was knee-deep in questions, feeling like i was making very little progress, my dear friend told me, "you're looking so refreshed lately. i can almost feel the oxygen making it's way to your heart." i remember thinking at the time (and probably saying - ha!), "i'm glad you see it because i most certainly do not feel it." there have been some seriously rough days, but i really do FEEL the oxygen now. it's simply amazing!

so... while i do have a ton of photos and stories to share, i'm going to start with a sneak of what's been going on behind the scenes here. enjoy!

one little word.

i love ali's tradition of choosing a word in january that will be the focus for the year... somewhat of a resolution i guess, but broader. it's a word that gives me direction and reminds me what i want for myself.

2008: say.
using my words to make a difference. challenging myself to communicate effectively. having tough conversations. making the time to tell the most important people in my life just exactly why they are a force in my world!

2009: love.
this word can take so many forms, but my biggest focus was learning to love myself... quirks and all.

2010: reconnect.
reconnecting with old friends... with myself as a mother and as a person. so many opportunities presented themselves that year to help me to live that word.

2011: invest.
my saving grace through all of the messy transition in my life right now. one simple word i chose at the beginning of last year (even before any of the mess started) was meant to be... i invested in my children, my friends and above all, myself. i pushed myself to face my fears and my truth. and because of all that i'm still standing and and taking the steps i need to create a life where i thrive. 

which brings us to 2012... a year of optimism, hope, dangerously dreaming with our eyes wide open!

my word is:

all of the other years, i have chosen my word. this year was different. the word kept appearing in my life in quotes, books... then one of my loving clients sent me this:

"My favorite... 
When you come to the edge of all you have known, when you look out and see nothing but darkness, FAITH is knowing that one of two things will happen... there will be something to step on, or you will have wings to fly.
You have wings..."

fly. it seems impossible. i do not know how to get from here to there. yet. but, i have faith in making my dreams my reality.

fly. clear perspective. for me this saying yes to life... no matter how hard or terrifying. 

fly. fresh air. clear my head and live a simple life.

fly. free spirit. letting go... of what was or what should be. no expectations. accepting what is and being open to possibility.

fly. wanderlust. my heart is open to travel, adventure and exploration. growth.  

fly. "the shell must break before the bird can fly..." (-tennyson) my shell has never been more broken and i'm excited to be.

i'm looking forward to the year ahead... not because i expect it to be any easier. there is A LOT of work ahead, but for the first time in a long time it's my own. i'm the only one that can hold me back... it's terrifying and exhilarating, but i'm going to fly!

here are a few more inspiring reads on one little word: ali: up, elise: choose and great resolutions: ashley ann - awesome! natalie - do what you know and autumn - with some project life love! oh and one 2011 in review from a friend that kicked some serious butt... 87lbs and counting - so inspiring raimi!!!

cheers to 2012! what is your one little word?

p.s. i chose this necklace earlier in the week and then saw this post yesterday... it makes me want to do the same to my locket!

my boy.

laughing, charming, loving, learning, growing...

 

 

such a happy little love... so lucky to have you. 

my girl.

just a few shots from our beach walk this evening... driftwood warriors chasing the light.

there are moments when i see what a little lady she is growing up to be and i find myself out of breath trying to keep up...

love her so.

celebrate.

2012 is just around the corner and the kids and i will be in santa barbara with my brother and his wife to celebrate! for any of you in down in that area, i am doing a mini-session special from january 1st until the 14th:

i hope that your holiday season has been filled with love, laughter and above all magic!

2012 is going to be amazing... i can feel it!!!

december daily: start here.

dec 01.2011

i was able to attend a mini-book extravaganza with the lovely (and super talented) elise of enjoy it last month in berkeley. to say the least it was awesome, but i will save that for another post. my biggest take-away from the weekend was getting the base album done for the december daily project. it's something that i've had the best intentions to do for years, but not having the base done ahead of time = epic fail in my world.   

so, it's filled with all kinds of holiday beautiful and ready and waiting to be filled with our adventures!

 
today's story includes the arrival of our shelf elf ramona... d has been counting down to this for weeks now! i am completely in love with this holiday tradition we started last year. her little 7 year old heart bursts each time ramona is found in a new spot! last year the elf showed up with a new skirt after being given her name and today she arrived with new pigtails. it's the best kind of holiday magic a girl could ask for!

hope your season is off to a cozy start.

sick day + news.

summer colds are the worst. but, that's what you get when your second grader brings more than homework home... new school year, new germs. bummer. taking a couple of days to snuggle my loves on the couch isn't too bad though. well, except for the fact that i need to be packing. what's that you say?! packing for what? well, that's our crazy huge news!!!



now this may or may not have been official for a few weeks now - eep! bri keeps teasing that i'm denial. that may be a tiny bit true... it's hard for a girl to come to terms with leaving some of her most treasured people behind. the good news is that while we are headed a state away, it's only a two hour drive. plus, all of the grandparents still live here so we will be back quite a bit. sorry sactown, you can't get rid of us that easily. the even better news is that we are headed to reno because an awesome job opportunity is waiting for bri there!

i am feeling so many things when i think about what the next two weeks hold for us... exhausted when i look at packing... nervous for miss d being the new kiddo... guilty because my mom is so sad that we're moving away... but mostly i feel relieved that we have this opportunity and adventure ahead of us. we will be healthier financially, more family focused and able to invest in creating a home.

thank you to everyone that we've already shared the news with for being so encouraging, supportive and enthusiastic! we love you :)

mer

checking in.

yes that's right... i'm still here ;) there is a ton going on in our little corner of the world. so many fun projects to share and one last glorious week of summer to enjoy every last bit of... and then it's back to a schedule.

i'll check back in on monday to share a family shoot. until then. here is a link with a hint of one huge project i've been working on! we are doing a shoot at their location today and we will be launching their website within the next week...

enjoy your weekend!
mer

enjoying life.

there are a lot of potential changes on the horizon... nothing for sure until next week, so instead of worrying about what might be we've been investing heavily in time with friends! today we wandered through the crowds at the state fair with carly and her little mister. the type treatment on the photobooth signs caught my eye and are the inspiration for this week's

...a simple pattern and summery colors.
enjoy!

mer