A photo journal comprised of my thoughts on motherhood and other life happenings, as well as some of professional work as a photographer. Southern California is home.
I have some wonderful sponsors as of late. Please help me in supporting my sponsors by showing them some love and support. Stop by, say hello. You can click on the photos below to be taken to their respective websites.
Want to read more about my decision to accept sponsors? Click here. Interested in sponsoring? Email me at ashley {at} thestorkandthebeanstalk.com.
I want to take a moment and thank all of my sponsors. It’s been great working with each and everyone of the kind people behind these stores and blogs. For more about my reason to accept sponsors, click here. For information about joining The Stork sponsor family, email me (ashley {at} thestorkandthebeanstalk {dot} com).
I am so smitten with this company. Their clothes are some of the ca-uttest around. Their models are pretty adorable too. I’m obsessed with just about everything in their store, but I especially love these booty pants, these chino pants, and this little lady dress. Do you not agree that their stuff is TDF?
I love supporting other bloggers. It’s a community I’ve grown to really enjoy being a part of. Rookies is a blog written by Ama, mama to sweet little baby Lane. She just bought a home and I can totally relate to her new found obsession with list making, says the lady sitting at the computer surrounded by random pieces of paper with grocery lists, to-do lists, blog post lists, etc scattered about. Stop by her blog and say hello.
Sweet Threads has the very best of designer and vintage clothes for the kiddos. If I had a girl, she’d be rockin this little red gem or OMFG this little romper faster than you could ask did she just allude to wanting a third child? They have some awesome items on sale right now too, including my all time fav “Forever Young” shirt and these leggings I featured in the last Style de Hooper. Sweet Threads is run by the beautiful Sheila and Analie. If you don’t follow them on instagram, you should; their feed is always uplifting with sprinkles of vintage loveliness.
DiaNoche Designs specializes in art by day, light by night. I did a feature on them here. There is still a few days left to enter the giveaway to win a piece of art. Their work is unique and made with the best quality. You can get free shipping with code beanstork321.
This kiddo fashion (and beyond) blog is so lovely and so well done. It’s run by three moms, whom I believe represent the western, central, and eastern parts of our beautiful nation. Pretty cool, no? They have amazing taste and manage to find some real gems. Every time I visit their corner of the worldwide web, I leave inspired. I also follow them on instagram. Definitely worth a wee peek, but be warned– you’ll be hooked.
Little Foot Boutique is run by a dear friend of mine, Lisa. She’s ubber talented and not only is everything handmade, but it’s handmade with love. It’s always inspiring to see someone commit themselves fully to something they enjoy doing. Lisa’s constantly adding new things to her store and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you must. I featured her chevron skirt here. I love this skirt for a little lady, this bib and birp cloth set, and these customizable chevron curtains.
Comfy Rumps is the place to go for cloth diapers. Their cloth diapers are not only made with the best quality, but their also the most affordable cloth diaper out there. I did a review on them here. They also have training pants and diaper accessories. You can check out their special promotions here.
I promise you you’ll never find more pacifiers. Babbling Babies has page after page of various designs to chose from. I love the twins pacifier (there’s one way not to mix up your kiddos), the skull pacifier (this one may make Willy want to try for a girl), and this milk pacifier. There are so, so many to chose from. Check them out for yourself!
Special thanks to all my sponsors and to my readers who support them with me.
Wearing: Black tank, chevron skirt c/o Little Foot Boutique, skinny belt from UO, shoes from Target (a few seasons ago). I didn’t photoshop a bruise off my leg, no I didn’t. Okay, I did. Whatevs.
Oh my gawd am I in love. I promise if I could sing like this you would not be reading this blog. I can’t help but dance to this song. And I mean that in the most literal sense… as in both kids are napping (let me pause for a moment: BOTH KIDS ARE NAPPING) and I am straight rockin’ the fuck out by myself. Seriously. This chick gets in my bloodstream. Her voice commands me to sway like the ocean commands its waves to break.
This is not to say I’m not enjoying some of the 80 degree (25 celcius for the other siders) days of “Winter” we’ve had… But nothing screams beach like Summer. Sorry Winter, Summer owns me.
This book features some of my favorite photographers. When coupled with the fact I really enjoy photographing my own children, it’s a must have.
I suppose, come July, I can do all three at the same time: Drive down to the beach, set up my iPod, and flip through tips on photographing my little monsters while my little monsters are most likely busy shoving sand in one anothers mouths. Oh what a glorious day it shall be.
I have a very special giveaway today from etsy seller Little Foot Boutique. Lisa, the needle and thread holdin’ gal behind the scenes of Little Foot Boutique, is a dear friend of mine. Her first son was born just 3 days after Hooper and her second son just two months before Van. I’ve had the privilege of photographing her and her beautiful family and she’s someone I always call before heading to the beach with the boys.
I don’t want to take full credit, but I was one of several who encouraged Lisa to open an Etsy store. She’s unbelievably talented and, like many, trying hard to make stay-at-home-mom-life feasible.
Her products are made with superb quality and modern design. Craving something custom? Don’t be afraid to ask, this girl has mad skills. Here’s some of the products we own and use on a daily basis:
Here’s a little Q + A:
Tell me about how Little Foot Boutique came about.
Little Foot came about after many family members and friends said I should start selling my sewing creations online. I had been making stuff for years but recently got back into sewing regularly. I was attending many baby showers and couldn’t help but think that I could make many of the items I was spending a ton of money getting from a store. I started selling on Etsy in October and am so excited to be part of the handmade community.
What inspires you?
Trial and error. When something matches a vision I had, I am re-inspired and motivated to continue onto the next vision. I get inspired walking down the isles in the fabric store, as my mind races with visions of blankets and bibs in the fabrics I see.
How do you manage the shop with two little boys at home?
We have an organized schedule during the day. My boys are my first priority and any extra time I can squeeze out during the day, you’ll find me behind my sewing machine. There are days when I’m swamped with orders and I will never get dressed or go any where. Fortunately for others, I do take a minute to brush my teeth. My busiest sewing time is around 8 pm when both boys go to sleep and I sew into the early morning hours, sometimes staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning. In fact I have dragged both kids with me many times to the fabric stores. I try to shop for fabric online now due to the hassle of just getting out the door with two small kids.
Can you touch on where you see Little Foot Boutique in five years?
I want Little Foot Boutique to be my full time thriving business. In five years my boys will be in school, at-which-point I plan to take Little Foot Boutique to the next level. I’m constantly changing and striving my product better. Its been tough getting started, but I’m persistent and determined to keep going. I love sewing. I love looking at the finish product. I love babies and making baby things. What I’m trying to say is I’m hooked!
What were you doing before Little Foot Boutique came about?
I was working as a project manager in an Architectural firm for over 12 years. I loved the creativity and design aspects of my job. I was laid off when the economy crashed and couldn’t find another job in the field. I had my babies and am now reinventing myself and investing everything into Little Foot Boutique. I’m a one man army; answering questions from people all day long, sewing my baby items, shipping my baby items and managing my Etsy shop online. If I didn’t have to sleep, I could get so much more done. Isn’t that true for everyone? Thank goodness for technology because I can answer someone’s email on my phone while breastfeeding and eating a sandwich on the couch. No joke, that happens a lot. I have a great work ethic and I want all my customers to be satisfied with everything I make. I am a perfectionist, to say the least.
Lisa is generously giving one winner a bib and burp cloth set from her store as well as 25% any additional purchase. Here are some of my favorite items:
Want to win the bib and burp cloth set, as well as an additional 25% discount, at Little Foot Boutique? Here’s how you can enter:
1. Visit Lisa’s store and tell me what you would get with the $25 credit.
That’s four different ways to enter and four different ways to win. Good Luck!
Lisa is also offering a 15% off discount to everyone from her store with coupon code STORK15.
The winner will be chosen by random and will be announced in two weeks from today. Make sure your email is valid, as this is how we will contact the winner.
It’s December 1st and I don’t know about you, but Christmas has been looming over my head for the past week or so. It’s like a whole separate to do list: think of what to get people, go out and get it or order it online, wrap it, drop it off at the post office, think of what I want, think of what the kids need, decide on a Christmas card to send out, send out Christmas cards, buy a Christmas tree, decorate a Christmas tree. My mind is spinning, can you tell? Anyway, I’ve thrown out quite a few discount codes over the past month or so and I thought it’d be helpful to compile them all in one place to make online shopping a little easier. I hope these discounts are useful and that you can check a few people off your list from these awesome stores/companies below. There are some really cool people behind these stores/companies and I’m happy to support each and every one of them. So with no further adieu, get to shopping. And check some peeps off your list. It will feel so good, won’t it? I love putting that line through things. Or that check in the box. I’m really not a type A, but that sure makes me sound like one doesn’t it?
15% off from etsy seller Truly Sanctuary with coupon code STORKANDTHEBEANSTALK
