springs arrival

It has been stunning here these past few days. I can't begin to tell you how high my spirits fly when the sun shines, the breeze is warm on my face, my boys want to spend all daylight hours outside, and I can garden until my heart is full.

If you need me, I will be in the gardens this weekend~ Have a lovely one my friends!

xx

lens betrayal...

guilt.

I am feeling it.

My husband is out of town and yesterday, I did something that I normally would have never done. I blame it on the excitement over my upcoming trip to France. I feel like I am cheating - betraying the ones I love. The thing is, it isn't that I don't love the ones I love, or that I am not loyal to them - because I am. basically.

Have you ever felt like you are cheating on your lenses? No? Is that just me? Hhmmm...

You see, I am a prime girl. For the past two years I have loved prime lenses. First it was my 50mm. The photos I took with her were so creamy and delicious. She was the only thing on Stella (and then Francis). I then discovered my 20mm - thanks to Pioneer woman. She is wonderful when I want to shoot wide things - my ENTIRE kitchen, the WHOLE barn, etc... While she is specific, she is wonderful and very useful for what I shoot. Most recently, I discovered my 35mm and she has been my constant companion ever since. She is flexible, she lets me get really close to things and still focus, she is light, and she basically fills nearly every requirement I have for her. She is near perfect for me.

but.....

I am going to France in less than two months. I have been going back and forth over which lenses I would bring. I would obviously bring the 35mm, which basically negates the need for the 50mm. I would then want to bring the 20mm for architecture shots as that is going to be a large focus while we are there. And then, do I bring the really low quality lens with zoom for more flexibility? I really do need something more than the 35mm and the 20mm.

the answer: 24-70mm. Almost as wide as the 20, with enough zoom to not have to be on top of something to shoot it, and yet, the ability to get really close and still focus. A bit heavier than my primes, but one lens. period. And what a lens! She is amazing. I had her out on the property today and was able to get every shot that I would have with my other lenses.

I then brought her indoors and grabbed some shots of my bed. She really is fabulous~

twig hutchinson

So maybe I don't *need* a stylist - maybe I simply need to study more fabulous stylists. It is amazing when one really looks, one is able to find endless inspiration, including stylists with every style under the sun.

You also find stylists that simply and completely capture your style. Or is it your style of the moment - am I the only one who feels like my style is always changing and evolving, little by little?

Twig Hutchinson is another stylist that I find inspiring - she gets my creative juices flowing and makes me want to spend hours and hours moving things around and shooting them. I love the light in her shots, as well as the casual feel. I think I may have to play with shooting beds today...

I *heart* Twig - one more fabulous stylist to add to my inspiration file!

my favorite spaces in our home

The kitchen is my favorite room in our house.

I love that we were able to do everything we wanted to when we renovated.

(I really do have the most magnificent husband ever)

I could spend hours here, planning meals, baking, and talking with family and friends who sit at the bar while I work.

The kitchen is directly adjacent to the great room.

It is where we spend most of our time when we are home.

We are blessed to have boys who like to hang around their parents (granted their parents are incredibly cool... - I can write that because they NEVER read my blog...).

It is also where I display most of my collections.

(my boys DO NOT understand why I would want said collections...)

Have a lovely evening mes amies~

xx

artfest 2010

My sweet friend Lara is selling her admission to Artfest here on the gorgeous Washington coast. The setting is amazing, and if you are looking to be inspired by like-minded women immersed in art classes, this is your nirvana.

She has posted all of the details here~

Happy Mardi Gras!

xx

styling

You can't be everything, right? I mean, you can't be GOOD at everything - it is simply not possible. And I am okay with that. sort of... But in order for me to improve at what I want to be good at, I have come to one conclusion.

I am not a stylist. not. at. all.

however

I need a stylist. I need someone who has an eye for composition - a much better eye than I have. Someone who wants to put fabulous settings together and then let me go to work with light and angles and Ruby.

A stylist. that is all I need.

I simply adore Atlanta Bartlett. I know, you are probably thinking "how many girl-crushes can this girl have???", right? Well, let me tell you, I have a LOT of them, and the list grows every once in a while.

Atlanta is my dream stylist. D-R-E-A-M Her eye is exactly what I see in my head but can't seem to organize in reality. she. has. it.

Love.

What I wouldn't give for one day of shooting with her styling the shoot. (okay, seriously, I wouldn't give my kids or anything - or my husband, or my home, but other than that, I am pretty open to offers...)

Couldn't you just melt into these photos?

Especially these - as we all know how close airstreams are to my heart~

And her outdoor dining settings not only inspire me photographically, but they make me want to create something this lovely here on the farm.

~all photos courtesy of the amazing Atlanta Bartlett