be bright.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season.
Love.
Cheer.
Merriment.
Fighting over toys.
Temper tantrums.
That uncomfortably full feeling.
Pie.
Wine.
Awkward silences.
Sweet potato passing.
Dinner roll throwing.
Laughter.

from the family Pelton,
with lots of love,
Merry Christmas.

It's a Festivus Miracle!

....that I posted.

I know that I'm awful at updating, and I know I'm a broken record about being awful at updating.
But here's the thing:
We moved home.
Hooray!
With that move came a two hour roundtrip commute to my job.
Seasonal Affect Disorder.
No snow for Christmas.
More photo jobs (the most recent can be found here).
Stuff.

Stuff that runs my time-in-the-day clock dry.
Before bedtime.
Every
single
night.

I think about writing.
I have a list, actually, of things I need to share.
Sewing projects,
Photographs,
stories.

And no time to share them.

I'm sorry friends. I hope my schedule gets lighter
and soon
so that I can get back to my old habits.

So that I can continue to share
all the worthless drivel and irreverence that brings you here
loyally
every
single
day.

I do promise you the annual "Airing of the Grievances" on Friday.
Maybe even Thursday,
since there may be an ode to a certain wee one
whose birth I will be celebrating.

While hoisting my Festivus pole.

And since no post is complete without a photo,
here is some snow.

Since mother nature won't send us any,
I've asked Elena to throw some your way.
Enjoy:

Cheers,
friends.

Love you.
Mean it.
A

fairies, flowers, and a fourth.

Elena's best friend turned four a little over a week ago,
and in celebration of such a momentous occasion,
she had a fairy party.
Turns out her mom, my dear friend Rebecca
is one of the most amazing DIYers I know
so the party was filled with amazing details.

The cupcakes were the piece de resistance.
So.
Flipping.
Good.

I am thinking she needs to take up baking
as a profession.

hint hint, Rebecca.

Here are some photographs from the party
(in case you were doubting my claims of its awesomeness)

Between Rebecca and I
there are four girls between the ages of four and one.
Which means, there will likely be at least
one more fairy party in our future.

For which I am extremely excited.
Hello!??
Did you see those tutus?
(That Rebecca made!?!?)

I know, right??

Cheers,
A

A Gift Guide (For Me. Duh.)

I like presents.

But, I mean, who doesn't?

Instead of a Holiday Gift Guide

recommending what to get for all those hard-to-buy-for people in your life,

I've compiled a list of what to buy

me.

I'm selfish like that.

First: I'd like to introduce you to my book wish list.

Known more commonly as my Amazon.com Shopping Cart.

Second: My top three OMIGOSH I NEED THAT IN MY CLOSET NOW items.
(Remember Fashion Week? These would help that come back someday. Just sayin...)

Top Left: TOMS Cordones in Grey (size 6.5)
Bottom Left: Free People Reyna Wrap Boot in brown (If you find this boot in brown in a size 6.5, buy it for me. Call me. Email me. Text me. I will PAY YOU. fReal. I DIE over these boots.)
Right: Madewell Polka Dot Sweater.

Third: I like stuff.  Things. Trinkets.

Top Left: Owl Corkscrew (via RedEnvelope)

Bottom Left: Stila Lip Glaze

Instax Mini 7s Camera.

Know what else I like?

Jewelry. Especially the handmade variety.

Bottom: Sterling Silver Stacking Rings (found on Etsy)
Right: La Mer Collections wrap watch. (via ShopBop)
Top: Feather Bracelet (found on Etsy)
Left: Dreamcatcher Bracelet (listed here)

I'd like to thank you advance for your generosity.

hello??

you still there??



hello?

a

Craft Magic

I went to Texas over the weekend.

I had to shoot a wedding near Driftwood

(home of the Salt Lick Barbeque)

(yum)

On Thursday,

I had a bridal shoot with the bride-to-be.

I wanted her to have a bouquet....

so I made one.

You know.

With all my craft-magic.

It's amazing how much I enjoy creating.

Choosing components

(yarn, fabric, flowers, words, etc)

and putting them together,

arranging them in exactly the right way.

It's not perfect.

But then, when is anything I make perfect?

There is so much beauty in imperfection.

Cheers,

A

Blue Spruce.

The day after Thanksgiving is wrought with Tradition in my family.
We don't shop.
We don't pepper spray the masses in order to have the best pick
of Wal-Mart ladies' comfort tees.
We don't eat leftover pie
(We don't leave extra, silly. That pie gets eaten!)
The day after Thanksgiving is
always has been
and always will be
Christmas Tree Day.

Growing up, we'd go buy one from a lot.
When I moved out after high school,
it became the day I hauled the fake tree out of the box
(turns out I'm allergic to fire-retardant used on commercial lot Christmas trees).
Now, for my mother and my step-dad
it's the day they go to the Tree Farm and cut down the perfect
Blue Spruce.
Or was it white pine?
Boston fir?
Something evergreen-y.
With needles.
And a general triangular shape.

I digress.

This year marked Elena and Stella's first trip to the tree farm.
And we bought two trees.
One for Grammy and Papa,
and one for our little nook inside my mom's house.
(Which is currently skirted with a handmade tutu from a fairy party. More on that later).
Mom and the girls picked out the trees,
Papa manned the saw,
and I, of course,
took photos.

Cheers,
A

Wednesday.

I promise I'll post an update

or something of value.

Soon.

But for now,

here are a couple photos

of Elena.

Cheers,
A

Five Long Days

I got a new lens last week.
It is
without a doubt
the best thing since sliced bread.
Since the internet.
Since Essie nailpolish, and pinot noir, and coffee, and, and, and....
Since this blog! That's how amazing it is.

I bought the lens nearly a week ago,
five
full
long
days.
Five days of it staring at me,
begging me to shoot with it.

It got its wish on Saturday.

Thanks to some great weather
and the two most beautiful girls I know.

Cheers,
A