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.
When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
-Bob Dylan
Years ago we were just young soon-to-be-lovers TPing a bathroom at a friend’s Christmas Party. We snapped that picture on your flip phone and years later it’s the one we value most; our first photo together. Then, four years ago today, your dad married us on what surely was the hottest day of the year both literally and figuratively. My dear love, you are my everything and my everything is you.
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.
These photos are from a few weeks back, when we were in Arizona to celebrate Willy’s grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. I had intentions of writing a post about what 60 years of love must be like before I realized that me writing on the subject would be like a caterpillar telling you what it must be like to be a butterfly.
What I can tell you, from the relatively short time Willy and I have been married, is that marriage is work in the same sense that children are work. Anyone who tells you they don’t have to work at their marriage and says raising their children was a breeze is lying. Or maybe they refuse to use the word “work” to describe what in actuality is an ongoing metamorphosis powered by love.
No matter how you chose to talk about it, marriage does not come without sacrifice and does not survive without communication. I shared some things I had learned in this post, but here are some other tidbits on marriage. These aren’t, by the way, meant to be my advice to you… Rather, these are things that little voice in my head whispers to myself. I know nothing about your relationship, only what works for us…
-Don’t forget about one another. When you have children, it’s easy to focus all your attention on them. I think most woman would agree that even buying things for yourself takes a backseat to buying things for your children instead. It’s easy to forget about your own needs, let alone the needs of your spouse. Children are great; They certainly are your most beautiful art project. But in the midst of loving them, you must remember to nurture the love for which their existence is founded upon. I remember observing relationships of my friends parents when I was growing up. There were those that seemed to get along but didn’t seem to be “in love”, so-to-say. Then were those that fought all the time, regardless of your presence. And then there were those that still touched each other, still gazed lovingly at one another across the room, and still chose to spend time with one another. It’s important, for me, for my children to see our love and feel like they are a part of it.
–Stay strong but not stubborn.
-Vent. It’s easy to keep things inside but it’s not so easy to keep them inside when they begin to compile ontop of one another. Sometimes something Willy is doing doesn’t bother me the first time, but by the fifth time I’m about ready to tear my hair out (oh lord, another hair reference? Really Ashley? Let it go, your hair will grow back…). I’m fortunate in the sense that Willy welcomes my vent sessions and, by the end of the ranting and raving, I think we both feel better. Venting is necessary to move forward. Almost always after we put it out on the table, it’s considered dealt with. I love that about our relationship.
-Life is like a Chinese finger trap; When it gets too tight, you have to relax. Keep it light. Life is hard. Work is hard. Caring for children is hard. So when you can, find humor in the everyday. I promise, it’s there.
Who knows, maybe in 57 more years I’ll be recapping the highs and the lows of marriage over a 60 year time span. Sixty years. I’ll let that sink in.
Have you let that marinate? So here’s to love and life and togetherness. Feel free to share what fuels your love and/or marriage.
Update: My blog is in 6th place over on Top Baby Blog! Thanks to all of you who keep voting 🙂 Prit-tee cool, prit-tee cool.
When the rain is blowing in your face
