InHOME Lifestyle: Princess #2

I need to just face facts...

I'm a hoarder of memories...

I have boxes and boxes in my basement...that I like to call "time capsules"

These boxes are filled with pictures, snapshots, mementos, tiny shoes, dried flowers, old programs to shows, records (yes, and even my old record player)...I could literally just go on and on...

Why do I keep all this stuff?

For me, everything is attached with a memory...

My favorites are the pictures...the ones that show my brother and me when we were toddlers...the shag carpet, the baby toys...our first dog, Sammy...

There is something not just nostalgic, but a feeling of belonging perhaps...a knowing of my past???

I love the trend that is slowly unfolding for InHome lifestyle sessions...because it promotes the idea of a time capsule of sorts...

...a way to freeze time...capture an interaction...seize a moment...

This little girl's home is cozy and quaint...and she has explored every nook and cranny...

She's the epitome of the inquisitive toddler...the big, bright eyes, the chubby hands, the climbing legs...she imitates mommy and reaches her arms for her daddy to hold her up high...

It wasn't that long ago that I had been at this same home photographing her first weeks of life...

time keeps ticking by...and she's now making room for baby sister...

This is their story...they are writing the chapters...these are the memories that will be imprinted on the tender hearts of these precious girls...

...and what I saw wasn't all about a perfect picture...

oh sure, we have documentation of the beautiful nursery and lovely flowers...of baby dolls and jewelry...all the little details that add to the story...but I more so saw things that weren't necessarily tangible, and yet, they were so, so evident...

I saw the:

Loving, 

Sharing, 

Belonging, 

Gentleness, 

Appreciation, 

Truth...

These are the memories that are treasured....this is the integrity of family...this is the character building, the everyday, the concentrating on hearts and not just outward or material things...

These are the things that are stored up and passed down...these are the relationships that stand the test of time...

These darling girls have a lifetime of memories ahead of them, to gather and then to share...

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He's "UNO"...and loves his Pasta!

Right before break...as in, just a couple days before school let out and all the crazy holiday stuff began, we had one last beautiful day...the sun was shining, it was in the 50s and this little guy's mom wanted to take advantage of the opportunity...

He was turning ONE on Christmas Day, and it needed to be documented!

He's a HAPPY kiddo...the last born of 4!

Not only is he adored by his older siblings, but he brings them such laughter & joy...

I couldn't stop taking pictures once we let him at his pasta either...

He was all smiles and going after the meatballs!

Happy Birthday little boy!! 

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Frozen Bubbles

School was cancelled for today...

due to the bitter cold...

Although I don't quite understand how these decisions are necessarily made, I'm not complaining...it just gives me more time to hang with my daughters...

I recently came across old pictures of something we did the last time it was this bitterly cold outside and I thought I'd try it again...

Freezing Bubbles...

Of course, I then realized that the actual bubble container was already FROZEN in the garage...so I found another concoction that works better anyway!

We stepped out into the frozen tundra this morning before any wind or snow started swirling (this is key because the bubbles are so fragile that even the slightest breath on them makes them pop before they begin the freezing process)

It's ideal to find surfaces that don't have pokey places...for example, it was more challenging to get the bubbles to stick on a skinny branch with little buds...but we had more success on flat leaves or on our railing.

(be sure to click on settings in the video below and change it to HD so that you can see the crystals more clearly)

Bubble Solution:

1 cup water

2 TBsp dish soap

2TBsp corn syrup

2TBsp sugar

Just put it in a bowl with colored straws for everyone to try...

It sometimes takes a bit to get it going...just be patient and go slowly...

Find a more sheltered area away from even the hint of wind.  We are going to try again as dusk hits...I so wish the sun would have come out behind clouds this morning as I think that would have been amazing...

You can check out more video and pictures on my Instagram HERE

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