New Favorite Blog: You Are My Wild

I've been practicing my virtually non-exisitant photography skills every chance I get (or when my camera battery is charged) and constantly looking for inspiration for portraits.  I just love great unique portraits, one of the reasons I always beg my dear friend Shana Duncan to take portraits of my family. 

Today I came across You Are My Wild through a post on the now inactive blog Pacing the Panic Room (I highly recommend falling down the rabbit hole of his archives, they are just wonderful.)  You Are My Wild is a weekly portrait project of 14 photographers, one of which is the writer of Pacing the Panic Room.  The portraits are thoughtful, exuberant, interesting, and so so unique.  I'm obsessed and inspired.

Here are a few of my favorites from the project:





PURE BRILLIANCE.  I am enjoying every single gorgeous picture!

Confessions

I might already be planning Rosie's second birthday party.  This is just too much fun.  Help.

Also, in the keeping it real category, here's an outtake from post-Rosie's birthday party on Sunday.  She was feeling a little mommy-clingy after having 40 people in her house all day.  Yes, I kept shooting through the baby tears.  I am the most sympathetic mom ever.



P.S. Clearly I need a creative outlet for my party planning obsession, would anyone like to hire me for their next party?  Email me at rosebudandpenny@gmail.com.

(picture by me)

Rosie Posey Is 1!

My tiny little Rosebud turned one yesterday, it's so hard to believe a year has passed since this little babe was placed in our arms.  We threw Rosie a party to celebrate the amazing moments we've had this past year, and to thank our dear friends and family for all they've done to support us.

Rosie looks so pretty in greens and blues, I let that be the inspiration for her first birthday party.  Our love for vintage floral fabric and, of course, Rose's name brought about the tiny flower prints on anything I could find.  I'm thrilled with how things turned out, but it wouldn't have come together at all without my dear friends Natalie, Amanda and Sara who helped put up the decorations and even cooked and cleaned at the eleventh hour to help us out.  What would we do without the very best of friends like them?




You can find resources on my mood board here.  The rosettes were made by me several years ago for my wedding using this tutorial, and the garlands on the balloons were made by me and my friend Sara using this picture found on Pinterest.  I arranged the flowers, the mason jar jugs were purchased from World Market a couple years ago (similar here), the large lacy cake stand is Martha Stewart Collection from Macy's, the smaller cake stand is vintage, and the napkins are Marimekko from Crate and Barrel (seriously obsessed.)  Oh, and my dress is from Anthropologie (on sale!)

(all pictures by me, except the top one taken by my dear friend Amanda and the last one by my dear husband Edwin.)

A Vintage Floral Party For Rosie

Sorry for the long silence but we've been frantically preparing for Rosie's very first birthday party! I can't wait to share all the details tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek!


1. BHLDN paper lanterns (no longer available) // 2. Paper doily garlands // 3. Mini Boden Pretty Jersey Dress in Multi Summer Floral // 4. Amazon Navy and pink streamers // 5. Etsy JazzyAppleGal Paper Straws // 6. Ikea paper plates and cups (no longer available) // 7. Pretty rose arrangement (pic from here) // 8. Amazon Rifle Paper Co Botanicals Garland

I've been collecting a lot of this stuff over the past year, knowing I wanted loads of pretty blue and green florals for Rosie's first birthday. Pale minty seafoam green is kind of "my color" and my obsession with all things vintage and girly made it easy to pull things from our home and party supply stash to bring it all together on the cheap. More photos and details tomorrow, so excited!

Mistakes


I've been making mistakes lately. Not the kind that are life threatening, or the kind you lose your job over, or even the kind that cost you lots of moolah. Mostly just the kind that are small, insignificant, and annoying. The kind that take a few minutes to fix, or the kind that leave you feeling like Homer Simpson "D'oh!" My grandfather used to say to me "what's worth doing is worth doing well," and it irritates the crap out of the perfectionist in me to be mucking up on even the small stuff. I've always prided myself on being a detail oriented person, not much escapes my eagle eye. But lately I feel like I don't have time to double check my work, and it's led to some very silly mistakes.

I can't blame everything on motherhood, although I will take a few nods from the women in my life when I tell them mama ain't what she used to be pre-baby. It's the details that make good GREAT.  I need to slow down, take the time to get it right, and celebrate doing things WELL again. If that means I do less, or take longer to do it, I'm going to be happy with doing things well.

2012



In the words of my husband, this year was the longest and fastest year of my life.

This was my 2012 in (mostly) superlatives.
♥ I experienced the most surprising event of my life: the birth of my first daughter Rosie
♥ I tried harder than I ever have to "make it all work"
♥ I was the most disappointed and discouraged
♥ I was delighted beyond belief
♥ I learned I am not going to win mother of the year any time soon
♥ I think I'm definitely far from the worst mother - most of the time
♥ It was the best of times
♥ It was the worst of times
♥ It was a year with the biggest changes in my life
♥ I spent the most time "adjusting" to those changes
♥ Our family has been enormously and frustratingly sick
♥ I have been the most terrible at predicting my feelings this year
♥ I have been the most flexible, ever
♥ I've been more honest with myself, and let go of a lot of negative feelings
♥ I've dreamed BIG and done what I want, not necessarily what is "safe"
♥ I am the most proud of who I am
♥ I have tried the hardest NOT to be the crappiest wife
♥ I have been the crappiest wife
♥ I have had the most faith in my instincts
♥ I have hoped for the best, a lot

My hopes for 2013
♥ I hope for an easier time for our family, in health and happiness
♥ I hope for more experience and success in my interests
♥ I hope to expand my musical skills, and learn to play the ukelele (thanks babe!)
♥ I hope to spend more time sewing and creating
♥ I hope to continue to put my family first in all things
♥ I hope to be a better wife
♥ I hope to be a more patient mother

The overarching theme of 2012 seemed to be humbling, I'm hoping the theme of 2013 will be uplifting.  Here's to 2013!  Happy New Year!
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