shooting with film // palm springs, home, and tiny newborns

More 35mm film goodness that I shot last year, and finally got developed. All of these were shot with my dad's Canon A-1 that he graciously gave me a few years ago, which makes these photos even more precious to me.

The husband and I stayed at the Alcazar in Palm Springs last summer for a little "babymoon." I remember wanting to go before my twin bump got too large to really enjoy myself/walk around, and man, I was right on the cusp. We pretty much just hung out in the pool the whole time (which felt sooo good on my hugely pregnant body), and we even got some sweet professional massages by a company that will come straight to your room. This hotel was also a nice change of pace from the Ace Hotel that we stayed in during our last Palm Springs trip. Smaller, quieter, and we basically had the pool to ourselves. Not to mention our favorite breakfast spot, Cheeky's, was RIGHT NEXT DOOR. Yes please!

I CAN'T BELIEVE MY BABIES USED TO BE THIS SMALL. These photos feel like two blinks ago. Oh man. Back when all they did was sleep and eat all day. Easy street. Of course, at the time, it didn't feel easy at all. Sleep deprivation and post partum blues will do that to a new mother. But look at those tiny little faces. And Hazel's smile. I will cherish these photos forever.

I call that last one "Portrait of a Father of Newborn Twins." I wasn't the only one who was exhausted for four straight months. My husband is a rock star. Dadding like every dad should. He'll do it all - diaper changes, feedings, soothing, cleaning. And he'll STILL shoo me out the door so I can have some kid-free me time. He's a saint, and way too good for me.

Just random snaps from around my home. I was attempting to do some sort of one-photo-a-day project at the time, because it was the new year, and the babes were three months old, and I foolishly thought, "I can totally remember to do this every day!" Ha. Ha ha. But still. It was nice to get a few simple shots like these.

fox & wren's nursery

Even before I got pregnant, even before I started trying to get pregnant, I knew a few things about this room. I knew I wanted it to feel like an extension of my home, and not just "the baby room with a bunch of baby stuff in it." I knew I wanted it to be gender-neutral in color, and I wanted to fill it with things that my husband and I love that our babies will (hopefully) one day love too. I love being in this room. Even when I'm attempting to soothe a fussy baby at three in the morning (sometimes both at once) in a twin mom fog of sleep deprivation, this room reminds me how far I've come and how lucky I am to have not just one perfect healthy baby, but two.

Hazel's crib is on the left, and Vincent's is on the right. I feel grateful that the twins have been sleeping in their cribs every night since day one. The master bedroom just isn't big enough for a double bassinet thing, and co-sleeping with twins is pretty much not a good idea. But they sleep in their cribs like a champ (when they're not grumpy or doing ninja moves to break free of their swaddles).

I couldn't let that awesome banner from my baby shower go to waste, so it has a new home in their room! The framed print of Dracula and Lizard Guy playing with the Wolf Man used to be in my living room, but now it gets to hang out with the twins' little book collection.

Books, cameras, and hockey sticks. This is what you call "parents not-so-subtly exposing their children to their own hobbies and hoping they pick it up at some point." Only time will tell.

Real talk: The surface of this dresser doesn't actually look this uncluttered on a day to day basis. What you don't see are the diaper wipes, the diaper rash cream, the sound machine/nightlight, and various burp cloths and/or washcloths. Babies, man. They need so much stuff.

I'm actually quite proud of myself for not caving in and buying every single adorable pair of baby shoes I saw while I was pregnant, cause man, there are a LOT. These are the only ones I bought, and yes, we all know newborns don't technically need size 0 shoes, but they're freaking cute and they belong on my children's feet, and you can't stop me.

It's taken me nearly half a day to write and edit this post, but I consider that a win. #TwinMomProblems

:)

bits of life // april

1// Hey, I got published! Slo Life Magazine contacted me a few months ago, asking if they could do a little write up about my wallflower photo in their April/May issue (which you can see full-size at the link) that was taken at the Madonna Inn. Of course I said yes, and it came out lovely! I wish I could link you to the online version of the article, but there doesn't appear to be one. So this quick Instagram shot will have to do. Oh, and this is one of the many photos I took during my little jaunt to Yosemite/Big Sur/San Luis Obispo with two other photographers, which you can read about here.

2// If there's two things I hoard, it's camera stuff, and home decor/design books. Especially when it's a book published by a blogger I love, or a book recommended by a blogger I love. I've been following Justina Blakeney's blog for at least three years, and its always been the best eclectic boho eye candy for me. She's inspired me to be more adventurous with using more pattern and color in my home, and I can't wait to look through every single page of her new book.

I read about the new book Design Mom via Emily Henderson (another great blogger), and thought to myself, "Welp, I'm about to have two little hellions running around my house; this might be a good book to have." Especially since I don't want to necessarily sacrifice everything home decor-wise once I have children. (I say that now, but easier said than done, right?)

3// Look, I'm outside! Not nauseated and miserable on my couch! It's a first trimester miracle! Some girlfriends and I had a pool day last weekend, and it was one of those rare days when I felt 100% not pregnant at all. No morning queasiness, no heartburn, no bloat. It was bliss, and it felt good to put on a bikini, showcase my tiny baby bump, and just spend some time in the water with some rad ladies. My morning sickness has definitely waned over these past few weeks, which I'm so so grateful for. The nausea still hits me at least once a day, but I'm getting more energy back, and showing my face in public again. It's grand.

4// Might as well show the 'ole bump. I'm officially 12 weeks today, so I'm nearly done with my first trimester! I had my first OB appointment since transferring from my infertility doctor two days ago, and it went really great. It was a 45 minute long appointment, and my new doctor was super thorough with verifying my family medical history, giving me a full physical exam, and answering my questions. Then she did a quick ultrasound scan of the twins at the end, which showed Twin B moving around and Twin A taking a nap, apparently. They're growing great, and everything looks good. 

I still can't believe sometimes they're really in there, just growing and moving around and basically renting out my uterus for nine months. So these ultrasound scans are really special to me, because I can see them in real time, bunked up next to each other, and I think, "Those are mine. I'm really having them."

:)

bits of home // february and march

1// I love the way the sun comes through the backyard in the late afternoons. The string lights turn into a bunch of lit orbs, and you know I can't resist a good lens flare.

2// Just a few things on my reading list, although I've read most of them by now. Just The Tips is a hilarious collection of tips/advice/confessions from the letters column of Sex Criminals, which happens to be an amazing comic that you should start reading immediately. Men Explain Things to Me is one of the best essays I've ever read, and should be a must-read for anyone who calls themselves a feminist (men included).

3// The resident cat doing cat things, like catching those rays of light.

4// I love my new outdoor mat so much. You have been warned. Sidenote: I've never understood how some people can keep their shoes on while lounging around at home. It feels so odd and unnatural to me. Once I'm home, it's shoes off and comfy sweatpants on. Socks are optional.

And! The mister and I just got some great news! His job is going to keep us in San Diego for three more years! Hurray! It's pretty much exactly what we wanted. Three more years of California wanderlusting, the best Mexican food, and all the great friends we've made here. We are so excited :)

bits of home // june

1// This is definitely my most covered wall in my house. Some people like a sparse, minimal office, but not this girl. My eyeballs like to look at color, and art, and funny cards, and a flea market mirror from Spain.

2// I pre-ordered Wendy MacNaughton's Meanwhile in San Francisco months ago, and it finally arrived last week. It is delightful and full of illustrations, and you should buy it immediately. The cover even turns into a poster! My short visit to San Francisco last year felt like it lasted only five minutes, so this book reminds me that I need to give the city a proper visit soon.

3// This little guy wasn't doing so hot until I moved him to a shadier spot in my backyard, and then bam! Thrive city. I'm getting better at this keeping-plants-alive game, I promise.

4// I've talked about my small camera hoard before, so nothing new here. But I quite like how they look on the built-in shelves in the office.

bits of home // september

1// The new house is such a score. Especially when this is just a small taste of the backyard. It's all Fern Gully back there, and I love it.

2// Fat Cat Yoga, aka lots of naps. I learned a long time ago that she will never sleep on any kind of pre-ordained "cat bed" like the ones you get at pet stores. Rugs and carpets suit her just fine. Oh, and wrinkled up packing paper on a carpet, which is what she's sleeping on right now as I type this.

3// morning tea and a miniature sugar skull.

4// Oh, air plants, you make me so happy. Especially when you're nestled in a hanging glass orb in front of a great big window.

Happy weekend :)

goodbye, sweet home...

It's amazing what can happen in two weeks. A mere two weeks ago, I was pretty damn carefree, still on a high from my trip up the coast with the mister (photos to come soon!), but also preparing for the mister's departure for another long deployment. And then bam. Our landlords notified us without any warning that they were selling the house pretty much immediately, so could we please find somewhere else to live? Holy crap.

Long story short, I found another place, and I'm moving there in a few days, but before I do, I wanted to pay a little homage to this cute little place I've called home for the past year and eight months.

Note: I took these photos as a paid gig for the realtor who was selling the house. Weird, but not so weird? I think maybe she could tell I was a photographer when she first walked through the house, from the random cameras and camera gear lying around? Or maybe the landlord told her? Who knows.

Goodbye, sweet living room. You were small, but I felt I cozied you up a bit. And so many windows! You got the best light. Perfect for plants in that corner (okay, so I killed a bunch of plants in that corner along the way, but still). And that wood and pipe shelving unit was perfectly measured for that wall! I am praying it will still work in the new place. But I love this room, and I will miss it.

I mean, c'mon, we had just put up those shelves like a month ago. Can't a girl just enjoy some shelves for more than a month? Alas, no, she cannot. Goodbye, sweet office. I will miss your little porthole window. This is where the magic happened. The photo editing, the blogging. The wondering why my husband needed to play four hours of Starcraft. And dang, I'm gonna miss that view of the front yard.

Goodbye, sweet kitchen. Sure, you didn't have fancy stainless steel appliances or some uber-granite countertops, but you were roomy, and bright, and had the perfect space for a breakfast nook. And again, more amazing light from all the windows. I'm such a sucker for good light. Also, I took this, this, and this in front of that chalkboard wall.

Goodbye, sweet bedroom. More windows everywhere. A wall heater that didn't work, which led to super amounts of freezing my arse in the mornings in the winter months ( I know, San Diego's "winter" is probably laughable to most, but hey, we acclimated). The Jesus painting that we found in the garage and couldn't not hang up. The creaky and slightly tilted floors.

Dammit, I have a feeling I'll never have a closet this size ever again. Sniff. And yes, this room was horribly insulated, so it went from raging hot in summer to cold as balls in winter, but who cares when it holds all your crap? I will even miss that wonky door and having to shift the locks every four months due to old-house-warping-and-shifting. Can I just take this closet to the new house? Can we make that happen?

And this. It was all about this. The place where we had friends over to eat, drink, play bocci ball, or just sit around the fire pit on chilly nights. And the fruit trees! Last summer, there were so many figs and lemons, I couldn't keep up. And no more free avocados. Sigh. I will miss the free fruit. Free fruit is a wonderful thing.

I took this photo back in February, with the welcome home banner behind us to celebrate the mister's homecoming from overseas, and I'm really glad I documented this. Not just for him coming home, but that it represents our short but memory-filled time at this little house. A house that we made into a home. I will miss its charm and quirks, but I look forward to the next place. A place we will make into a home as well :)

life lately...

Yep, been neglecting this space again. The weather was getting warmer, friends wanted to hang out, and when your husband (who seemingly just got home last month) only has a limited amount of time before he's back overseas, you tend to soak up as much time as possible together.

Here's what I've been up to lately...

Ahh, a proper cookout in our backyard. Up until this year, we didn't really entertain much outdoors, mostly because we had sold our old patio furniture and tiny little grill back in Spain. But we finally gave our outdoor space some attention. We hung some outdoor string lights, bought a beast of a picnic table, and found a used gas grill on Craigslist. Add food, friends, and a couple rounds of bocci ball, and it can't get any better.

Catching up with lovely ladies always makes for a good day. I've been really lucky to meet such a diverse group of women since I moved to San Diego, each talented and rad in their own ways. They inspire me in my own pursuits, to try and do bigger and more creative things. When I'm feeling like I'm in a funk, they remind me of all the beautiful possibilities out there, and that is a wonderful thing.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the beautiful wedding of a dear friend, at the Twin Oaks Garden Estate in San Marcos. Such a fun time, from the school bus that took us there, to the dancing, hoola-hooping, photobooth with crazy props, and the open bar.

 

Today is Memorial Day, and I'm nursing an awful cold/flu thing as I'm writing this. So much for big Memorial Day plans. BUT! Next week will surely make up for it, because the Mister and I will embark on a week-long roadtrip up the California coast, all the way up to San Francisco, then back down to Vegas to visit some family. We'll be stopping at Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Solvang/Santa Ynez, and Los Angeles as well. I'm crazy excited for this trip!

Not to mention a rad fashion photoshoot I've got in the works for next month...the month of June is looking pretty good right now :)