This Girl

She slays me.

Cheers,
a

Puddles!! (But First, Snow)

Last Wednesday, 

Leap Day

February 29th

it snowed. 

Quite a lot. 

Winter arrived in Minnesota on the final day of February and dropped a few inches of heavy, wet, build-the-world's-tallest-snowman snow. 

The girls reveled in it. 

Correction: Elena reveled in it. 

Stella refused to put on gloves and learned very quickly that snow is cold. 

And cold hands make for a miserable little girl.

(and an "I told you so" mom)

(Still accepting Parent-Of-The-Year Awards)

(duh)

And one week later, 

as fast as it came, 

it retreated once more. 

Spring is coming. 

I can smell it on the pavement in the morning. 

I hear it in the song of the birds. 

Soon, green grass, golden sunshine (that lasts past seven o'clock!), 

lilacs, oh how I missed the lilacs the last two years,

and fresh breathe-it-in-deep-and-sigh-it-out air will arrive.

But before spring can...spring, the thaw must come. 

And with it-water. 

Which means, puddles.

I could photograph these girls 

all

day

long.

It is just SO natural taking their photo.

No stress.

No pressure.

No fear of failure.

Just heart.

Pure, blissful, amazing heart.

And I love the feeling of it.

Cheers,

a

Monday. Photo Day.

Sort of.

You'll have to head over here for the full monty.

But here's a snippet of what is waiting for you:

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