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.
Dreaming: Willy’s mentioned a few times that he’d like to go somewhere in the near future. For us, “go somewhere” involves a passport. I spent much of my early adult years exploring this great world of ours and when Willy and I started dating, I took him along for the ride. My hope at the time was that I would plant a seed for later adventures, and alas, that seed has sprouted. We’re talking about returning to Cuba because it was *incredible* the first time. I’d like to frolic around Havana in this dress. Now who wants to buy it for me?
Check out, Aisle three: There was a time I thought of getting a barcode tattoo. It was fleeting. Nevertheless, when I saw this shirt, it reminded me of that thought. All my thoughts about tattooes are fleeting. That’s why I don’t have any.
Lookout, Pauly Shore: Did you know they created a Biosphere in Arizona? I haven’t been, but I know Willy would LOVE to go. He’s into that science shit. It looks pretty amazing.
Saw this beautiful rug last week when I made my way through Target. Wishing I had a room to put it in.
Please welcome: I have a new sponsor and I’m totally smitten with their stuff. I’m such a sucker for a good romper. True story: I have countless rompers that I’ve put on the boys’ that Willy has vetoed because he says they’re too girly. I’ve handed them on to friends with little girls. But this romper is making my ovaries throw out more eggs than the Easter bunny.
Loved this post from Naomi. I think every mom out there can relate. Reminds me of this post I wrote. Why do we scrutinize each other?
Bad mom award goes to…. drum roll… muah. I locked Hooper in the car, with my phone and keys, after his gym class. I called the tow company but when the sweat beads started making waterfalls down his poor pink cheeks, I called the fire department. It was the worst part of my day, but at the very least, Hooper was pretty stoked to see the fire truck up close and personal (as a side note, there’s nothing like watching four big burley guys work together to get a locked door open only to be shown up by the pip-squeak of the AAA guy who, alone, opened the door with his little tool thing in seconds flat). Before this happened, Van knocked over our full length mirror and managed to cut himself on one of the thousand pieces of glass that was on the floor. Does that mean I get the bad mom award seven years in a row? If so, that sucks.
Wearing: I love this dress from TopShop. It’s so airy and comfortable. I won’t mention the fact that a button popped off as soon as I swung Van onto my hip. Luckily they provide you with two extras. I’m more careful now. I paired it with a basic black tank and some comfy wedges I had thrifted a while back. I can’t tell if it’s the outfit or the fact that there’s a baby in my arms, but something about it is screaming “Mom Alert” at me. Please tell me I’m wrong? In any case, I really like this dress. I take comfort over anything and it certainly checks that box.
Debating: I’ve been sitting on the idea of writing a postpartum body image post. For the first time ever, I’m a little nervous about how it would be perceived. I usually don’t give a shit about what anyone thinks, but I remember Melissa receiving some backlash for complaining about losing too much weight while breastfeeding and I think it made me a little self-conscious. In any event, I’ll say this: I’m not comfortable in my own skin and I think – no matter what our complaints are – most moms can relate.
Loving: I’ve checked out a lot of the other bloggers participating in Jodi’s 365 Photo Project, but none steals my heart quite like Lamb Loves Fox. She’s doing a 365 day project, photographing her little lamb everyday. She’s due any day now with a little fox to add to the mix. Check it out and keep her in your thoughts, I think Mr.Fox is coming today.
StartingAnew: Did you follow Frecklewonder? She abandoned ship and jumped to sail along the etsy stream of life. You can find her new shop here. It does not disappoint. I definitely have my eye out for some pennants like these for when I re-do the boys room sometime down the line.
Listening: My love for Spanish music most certainly comes from my days spent traveling. It’s crazy how music can transport your spirit. To go back to places like the Dominican Republic, all I need to do is throw on some Bachata and close my eyes. In any event, I love how this band mixes in Mariachi. Brilliant. Hooper and I have dance parties while this track spins over and over again. You should too.
Wanting: Shopping for myself has become so secondary to shopping for my members. I splurged just the other night and went online shopping (I know, dangerous) and didn’t even buy anything for myself. I passed on this incredibly awesome sweater for Hooper (and later Van) because I couldn’t justify buying a sweater when it’s not sweater weather and is only going to get hotter. I’m already having remorse about it but I’m under strict orders not to buy them any more clothes. Willy even put thrifted clothes on the back burner. I know, what an asshole. I came across this little dress too and contemplated, for a second, what it would be like if Hooper and Van had a sister. Online shopping, I hate you.
Wondering: I can’t seem to figure out why parents brag about potty training. Diapers are clearly where it’s at. We’ve had some regression with the potty training following a trip to Arizona, another to Palm Springs, and the whole rotavirus stint. With that said, Hooper peed in his pants twice and then again on the drivers seat in Willy’s car over the weekend. I kinda miss diapers. But, alas, I have a few days off and I’m rededicating myself.
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.
Wearing: This sweater from Target, gray skinnies, these sandals.
Swooning: See that little wave in the pic above on the right? Melts my heart.
Getting out: Some times one day starts to feel just like the day before. Willy was in Huntington Beach for work so the munchkins and I decided to drive out and meet him for dinner. We drove around Newport Beach and dreamed about living in homes we can’t afford. It took well over an hour to get down there in traffic, but with the kiddos secure in their kiddo seats and with some tunes I had prepared beforehand, it was actually a nice break; even if it meant starring at the brake lights in front of me.
Cleaning: Has the Spring cleaning bug hit you yet? I emptied out our entire refrigerator and scrubbed that sucker clean. It feels so good.
Searching: I would love to invite this Andy Warhol print into my home but can’t seem to find it anywhere. I have a feeling it’s pretty pricey anyway.
Recovering (again): Willy, Hooper, and Van all got bit with the germ bug this past week. It’s been tough to kick. Not sure how I managed to escape it, but mother earth must know the house would go to shambles in the absence of a healthy mama.
Listening: Audioslave, “Doesn’t Remind Me”. It’s a rare to find a song that both Willy and I can enjoy. I like the acoustic version.
Rejoicing: Van is sleeping 10 hours straight through at night and napping, on a consistent basis, for a couple of hours during the day. I feel like a new woman. Now I’m ready for a third. I joke.
Redesigning: Notice the facelift? What do you think? When it’s complete, I’ll share the beauty and brains behind it all.
Wearing: A vintage dress, these sandals, Dooney & Burke vintage purse.
Searching for acceptence. My postpartum body is foreign to me and I struggle on a daily basis to accept it for what it is. I remember Melissa saying it felt like someone put her body back together using an Ikea manual and I couldn’t agree with this analogy more.
Counting down the days. I know, from past experience, that I’ll miss it when I’m done but today I cannot wait to be done breastfeeding. I miss the freedom.
Listening to Johnny Cash, “I’ve Been Everywhere”, while daydreaming about a roadtrip to Palm Springs in the relatively near future with this girl.
Wearing: This dress is from ModCloth. I wore it in the beginning of my pregnancy with Van. I paired it with black leggings and some old black suede boots that I’ve had for years. Dresses with pockets are always my favorite. And, as an added bonus, Hooper likes the birds on it and refers to me as “prit-tee” when I wear it. It goes without saying that I want to wear it everyday and if it weren’t for the spit up, I probably would.
Celebrating: My hair is growing back. I’ve bitched and moaned long enough and finally the postpatum hairloss gods have heard my cries. On top of my head are tiny little sprouts of hair yearning to make me look ridiculous in the months to come, like little antennas endlessly searching for a signal.
Recovering: Hooper, Van, and I all have colds. This has resulted in Van not taking solids, which has resulted in more nighttime feedings in addition to cough attacks due to post nasal drip. This, in turn, has resulted in complete and utter exhaustion for me, as well as a decrease in patience. Hooper’s been testing boundaries left and right as of late, so yeah, hoping we can all be healthy again soon.
Dreading: Willy has been working a lot. He took on a new position at the company he works for and it’s meant longer days and weekend business trips. He is out of town right now and, let me tell you, this single parent thing sucks.
Wanting: More energy. I’m not a coffee drinker. I’m thinking I should tell my taste buds to kiss my ass and throw back a few of those espresso shots like they were shots of vodka in my college days.
Listening: Lucero, “She Wakes When She Dreams”. I’m such a sucker for a deep raspy voice. His voice brings tears to my eyes and forces me to listen, and then hit repeat.
Trying: To shake the travel bug. I’ve been daydreaming of far away places and though the possibility feels at least a year or so away, I’m banking on the fact that time has been flying.
Juggling: Diapers vs. underwear. Not for myself; For Hooper. Some days I just don’t have the potty training energy. He is doing really well, however, and I owe ya’ll a round three update. You can read about round one and two, if you wish.
Side note: A friendly reminder that the giveaway to etsy shop Moonbeatle ends tomorrow. You can enter five different ways to win FORTY SMACK-ER-ROOS to Fritha’s lovely store. You can’t win if you don’t enter.
Peek-a-boo. Wonder where I’ve been with my Mama Style shenanigans? Truth be told, I don’t do cold weather. I’m a California girl. It has been chilly chilly cold here the last few weeks. And by cold I’m talking in the 50’s. Okay, cue collective eye roll from all ya’ll living in areas of snow and sleet. It’s been cold, by California standards anyway. The sun came out over the weekend and so long as you were standing in the sun, it was fairly pleasant. We went out for a family breakfast and attended a BBQ at a friends later in the evening. Any weekend involving pancakes, sunshine, friends, and the smell of BBQ ain’t too shabby. I won’t even mention my yearly pedicure yesterday with my dear friend Marin; that would be too much.
I had convinced myself my postpartum hair loss was nearing an end, but alas, it keeps on falling. The feeling reminds me of rough housing when you’re a kid… You know, when your sister sits on your face and you’re halfway between a giggle and a complete meltdown because you can’t breathe properly. The hair loss was funny to write about at first but now I just feel like cutting back on the mama style posts because placing myself on the other side of the lens feels uncomfortable. Wah wah. Ho hum. Watch me cry a f’n river, would ya?
In other news, have you seen this video by the Lumineers? There’s something about watching music being made that is oh so magical. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of that old bus with my camera slung over my shoulder, or wing cuz you know, I’m a fly.
Well, it’s still coming out by the handfuls. I’m talking about my hair. I’ve got the postpartum hair loss blues and the worst part yet is that it hasn’t even begun to let up. I distinctly remember how this all went down the first time around: globs of hair come out in the shower (stage 1), bald spots appear along the hairline (stage 2), little hairs begin to grow back in and resemble little antennas sticking straight out of my head (stage 3), hair returns to “normal” (stage 4). The space in between stage 1 and stage 4 is about two years. And I’m still in stage 1, sigh. Ho hum. Shoulder shrug. Poor me. Wah wah. Hash tag: WhyDoesMyHusbandStillGetToLookTheSameQuestionMark. I’m really catching on to the whole hash tag phenomena as of late, can you tell? So fun.
There is one thing that’s making me quite happy during all this hair loss: Target jackets. Yup, it’s as simple as a trip to Target to turn this maybe I should invest in Target hats too blues upside down. Almost every year, I nab me a Target jacket. Here’s some of my favorites this season:
You know what would go best with any one of these little numbers? A full head of hair. Long luxurious locks. Hair so strong I could drape it out my castle window and let Willy, aka my prince, climb up to give me the sweetest of goodnight kisses. What’d you say? I’m getting ridiculous now? I know, I know. That’s why balding is synonymous with aging… because you go crazy.
Today’s mama style post is a special one because it’s brought to you by the lovely Threading Marigolds. Threading Marigolds is run by three wonderful women, two sisters and one cousin. Gotta love family run small business. Kristi, Lisa, and Jamy have been crafting and sharing styling tips since the good ol’ days.
Their store is comprised of several vintage and handmade items. I asked them to participate in a little Q & A. Here’s what they had to say:
How did the idea to open an etsy shop come about?
First off, our shop is a collective made up of a cousin (kristi) and two sisters (Jamy and myself, Lisa). The idea of our etsy shop started years ago during one of our many craft-food-antiquing get-togethers, but it wasn’t until this past year that we started seriously thinking about it as something new we could do together and a way to take time for ourselves. We’ve always been interested in arts, crafts, and all things vintage, but we’re all very busy with our day-to-day lives. (I’m a PhD student and college instructor, Jamy is a kindergarten teacher, and Kristi is a middle school counselor who is pregnant with her third son!!). We figured if we were going to attempt to launch an Etsy shop, it needed to happen in the summer. So, in July we launched our collective shop, Threading Marigolds, selling both vintage and handcrafted pieces. While everyone contributes to our vintage collection, I am the one primarily in charge of selling vintage. I also make scented soy candles in vintage and new vessels. Jamy, my sister, hand-stitches felt and repurposed fabric owls and makes aluminum flower brooches. My cousin, Kristi, makes fabric pom-poms. It sounds like quite the odd mix, we know, but with our busy lives, we knew that our shop’s success would depend upon our collaborative efforts.
Tell us about your love for all things vintage and handmade.
We all spent most of our youth crafting, playing dress-up with family vintage heirlooms, running around in cornfields, climbing trees and overall just being kids. Today we still get together from our diverse locations—Illinois, Virginia and Florida—for craft-a-thons and antiquing shenanigans. A very vivid memory for me is rummaging through my mom’s amazing closet filled with dresses from the 1960s and 1970s (I still have several that I wear). My grandma also had one of the craziest vintage hat collections (still in the family!) from the 1920s-1940s. These early encounters with old, sometimes fragile objects taught me to appreciate their histories and aesthetic. As Jamy and I became teenagers, we both based our entire fashion sense on mixing new items with thrifted items. In fact, I remember going to Bargain City in the suburbs of Atlanta every single Monday for 50% off! Today, I personally look for vintage pieces that have a cross-over value, meaning I can wear them casually on the weekend or out with friends, but also dress them up for when I teach or have meetings. Most of the vintage pieces I put in the shop have this cross-over value (or whatever you want to call it!). I also love comfortable things!!! My wardrobe is supplemented with new pieces and vintage-inspired dresses–usually from ModCloth or Anthropologie.
Hand-made for all of us is about the process of making something with our own hands. We also fill our homes with handmade objects from others (usually from Etsy!). I think I can say that we all prefer buying these types of items that support artisans, shopping local, and small business owners rather than big-box stores. Of course, that’s not to say that we don’t ever shop there! In fact, I’m trying my hardest to shop only from small businesses and Etsy this holiday season…we’ll see how it goes!!!
Who are your style icons?
This is a really tough question!!!
Without a doubt, the first name that pops into my head is Audrey Hepburn. But, I also love the fashion that comes mostly out of old films–whether it be quirky Woody Allen films (he’s my fav), Godard or Hitchcock–but also of course many contemporary icons and bloggers (to name but a few that I regularly follow: The Dainty Squid, A Beautiful Mess and Meredith from One Sheepish Girl). Oh, I also have to say, because I’ve been slllloooowwwly rewatching the entire series: I LOVE Diane Chambers’ fashion sense from the sitcom, Cheers. Carla Tortelli also knows how to rock some amazing colored high-waisted jeans and printed tops.
If we’re talking about a home style…that’s a whole different list!!
Kristi, Lisa, and Jamy are offering a 20% discount at their shop with coupon code storkandbeanstalk. Here are some of my favorite items:
Please ignore my creepy pinky finger in the photo above. I’m telling you, I could do an “outtake” post each week just making fun of my botched poses for these mama style posts. I opted to keep the creepy pinky photo in this week because it beat a lot of others.
Mental note: Mind your pinky. And buy some boots. Rain has started falling.
Done. Added to the to do list. Now onto mommy-type-stuff.
It’s begun, I’ve started making shower wall art. What’s shower wall art, you ask? It’s abstract art I make on the tiled wall, using my strands of rejected hair, during my shower. I’m talking about postpartum hair loss people. It’s begun. And so the script goes: Enter an episode of minor depression. My hairline still appears somewhat intact, so I’m reserving the episode of major depression until later when Willy tells me, “The way you have your hair right now makes you look like you have bald spots”. That’s how it happened the first time around. I’m guessing it’ll be right around Christmas time. Puuuurfect.
Ho hum.
In other news, Hooper’s birthday has come and gone. Oh my goodness, I have a TWO year old. Where does the time go? asks the creepy lady looking under the sofa cushion in disbelief. I posted some video footage from his party on Friday and I have some other photos to share this week. I had quite a few things on my to do list to prepare for the party and got much of it done thanks to the incredible help from my in-laws who were in town for the celebration. It feels really good to have so much checked off the ever-growing mama to do list. Gotta love family!
Check back tomorrow for a rad giveaway from etsy seller Craft Goblin and be sure to check out last Monday’s giveaway from Cuddle Smart that is still open for another six days!! EEeeee!!! It’s all so exciting!
I scored this little vintage Levi’s jumper the other weekend when we were in San Francisco. I hesitated buying it because, you know, it’s Fall n’ all. But my heart belongs to Summer and apparently Fall belongs to Summer too because it hit the triple digits here again last week. If you follow me on instagram (thestorkandthebeanstalk) you may have seen my photo of the 109 temperatures steaming up your feeds. Anyway, this jumper has been my go-to on these warm days. Super comfy and super breastfeeding friendly, which is always a major plus in my book. And I just love jumpers… even if they are a little jail-house-ish.
In other mama news, I have another round of birth-related links to share with ya’ll. All of these are really deserving of their own individual posts, but when lack of time and organization gets of the best of you the answer is to clump. So here is my clump o’ links. Hope they’re helpful.
–This article discusses how both Cigna and Aetna are leading the way in a new movement to lower the c-section rate. Aetna is adjusting the price they reimburse for c-sections, making the cost closer to a vaginal delivery to eliminate the profit hospitals and doctors receive when going the surgical route. Cigna is aiming for the same and is additionally offering bonuses to hospitals that are able to lower their c-section rates. Leave it to the money-hungry insurance companies to be the ones making a difference. Who cares if their motivation is money if the end result is better care for birthing women, right? The article also states that hospitals are working toward no longer allowing doctors to induce labor prior to 39 weeks, unless a reason for an emergency induction is documented. Anyway, I’m curious to know your thoughts…
–This article discusses why it is hard for the birthing mother to say “no”. The topic alone is enough to raise your eyebrows, right? Your thoughts?
-A wonderful love letter to c-section moms, because not everything in life goes according to plan and we all deserve respect. This is a real beautiful article that I urge everyone to read. Again, would love to know your thoughts…
–Here’s a collection of great resources and links for first time moms. The 30 of the best blogs for new moms covers everything from sleep patterns to diapering to feeding and then some. Loads of info.
And lastly, the winner to last Monday’s giveaway from Truly Sanctuary is Taysha Murtaugh. Congrats! They will be notifying you via email. For everyone else, please remember you can use promo code STORKANDTHEBEANSTALK for 15% off your entire purchase!
I bought this dress a couple seasons ago from ModCloth and had never worn it until Friday night. I had forgotten about it, to be honest. Come Thursday I had no idea what I was going to wear to the wedding the following night. I had planned on running out to buy something but with two little members, that’s not always possible. Time got away from me and next thing you know I was shopping in my own closet. Sometimes your own closet turns out to be the best deal. This fancy little number still had the tags attached and once I stumbled across it, I looked no further. I can’t wait to wear it again. That is, so long as those damn beads hold up… they started coming off mid-way through the night and seems as though they are all strung together. Not the best quality, but it sure was a fun dress to wear.
How was your weekend?
Here’s a couple videos to make your Monday a little brighter…
-If you are not one of the over 330 MILLION people that have viewed THIS video, you must view it NOW. Willy and I cannot get enough and, as luck would have it, Hoop is addicted too. It’s like a pringle, once you pop, you can’t stop.
Dress, from TopShop (no longer available, but they have tons of other cute ones worth checking out. I wore this dress while pregnant too.) // Belt from Modcloth // Sandals, Seychelles // Purse, vintage (check out this one from etsy)
We’re still enjoying summer weather here in California. In fact, I still have tar on my heel from the beach that does not seem to want to come off. Truth is, I kinda like the black spotted reminders of sand and sea stuck on the bottom of my foot. Dear summer, you’re welcome to linger as long as you want.
I’ve been compiling some birth links for a few weeks now and rather than touch on each one, I thought I’d provide the links for those of you that are interested. I may no longer be pregnant, but I’m still passionate about birth. I believe strongly in a woman’s right and responsibility to be informed and educated and think everyone ought to take a closer look at the current state of childbirth in the US. Here’s the links:
-Consumer Reports published “What to Reject When You’re Expecting”, detailing 10 overused procedures during pregnancy and birth. They also offer 10 things you should consider while pregnant and delivering.
-If you can ignore the narrators creepy voice, this is a great poem/video that draws much needed attention to the fact that birth has become more surgical than ever.
-On labor day, several “Improving Birth” rallies were held all over the nation. You can watch this footage from the one in Arlington here.
–Here is a great article on doulas. If you’re not on-board with a home birth and feel more comfortable in the hospital setting, look into hiring a doula. I promise it will change your birthing experience.
Happy Monday!
pssstt… The votes for Top Baby Blog reset today. Be sure to vote by clicking on the link below or on the TBB icon to the right. I sure do appreciate all your votes and special thanks to those who voted throughout this last round (The Stork & The Beanstalk finished 13th out of nearly 600 blogs, so I’m incredibly honored).
