Bluebirdbaby

mother's day weekend

Bluebirdbaby — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:06:38 -0400

this weekend was so special. we celebrate my sister's birthday and mother's day at the same time every year and have a simple gathering full of good food, wine, and music.

this year we hosted and it was just so much fun!

we started the weekend with going next door (yes...next door!) to a fabulous greenhouse and got a bunch of annuals to plant in pots for gifts.

on sunday morning i awoke to a choice of either breakfast in bed, or breakfast upon return from a run. so i chose to run! i ran 6 miles in the pouring rain and returned to my two loves waiting at the door with a towel to dry me off. they had the table all set with a fabulous breakfast (bacon, eggs, and kale) with espresso AND some champagne (wow!). they had the most fabulous gifts for me (how did i get so lucky?!) and both told me i was the best mother ever. aw!

we celebrated all day and into the night...mostly just celebrating being together, because as mark says..."it's what we do best!"

how was your mother's day?

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Bluebirdbaby — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:43:35 -0400

this week you:

had your first gallery opening. you were shy and proud and a little embarassed by all the attention, but you had a fantastic evening!
had more desserts than i think i've ever let you have before. so much celebrating!
had some real, honest, heartfelt conversations with me before bed. it's different talking to you now that you are older. you have so much to say, and you feel everything so greatly.
told me you wished your "Baba" lived next door.
went on secret mother's day errands with mark and had a blast
told me i was the best mama in the world and you never wanted to let me go. aw.

her big night

Bluebirdbaby — Sat, 11 May 2013 16:49:06 -0400

the little one was so excited to have her very first official "opening" at a gallery space south of us. she painted a 4 foot long horse (that she drew and mark cut out for her) for the show called "Heads or Tails" and it was a total hit!

they hung it in a superb spot and she was so thrilled about the whole thing. we made a special night out of it and some of our very best friends joined us and my mom, and we wined and dined and then went out for gelato after to complete our night of celebrating!

we crawled into bed at a later hour than usual, completely content and a wee bit exhausted with our special night all thanks to the little one!

we are so proud of you my little e!

p.s. for you locals, the show is here! her piece is for sale too (i hate to see it go though! i may buy it myself!)

home.

Bluebirdbaby — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:05:09 -0400

our lives have been very full lately. full of this and that, good and bad, easy and hard, fun and work, laughs and tears...all things that remind us that we are human. life is a mix of everything, because it's, well...life. and really, who would want it any other way?

we're so very busy at the moment, and finding a time to just breathe and relax can be challenging. tonight we're working in the studio before a very long day tomorrow (the little one has her first opening at a gallery!) and looking forward to a rainy weekend that may just slow us down a bit.

i captured these images from around the house earlier in the week. somehow just looking at them makes me slow down, take a deep breath, and relax.

what are you up to this weekend, friends?

my cards...

Bluebirdbaby — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:43:28 -0400

when i was designing my new logo and website for my personal portfolio, i wanted a whole new set of business cards to hand out as well. i always use Moo.com for my business cards. i have never found a better quality elsewhere and they are always a pleasure to work with!

my favorite cards are the luxe business cards. they are super high quality, double sided, have an amazing thickness that really impresses people and the printing quality is superb.

i put b&w images on one side, and my logo and contact info on the other. mark uses these too for his website! we always get "oooos and aaahhhs" when we pass them out, which is always fun to hear.

so go check out their awesome products here!

and check out our newest featured sponsors! they help sustain this space and make it all possible!

18/52

Bluebirdbaby — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:27:33 -0400

this week you:

grew an inch...i think
learned a duet on the piano that my mother taught me when i was your age
fell asleep in my arms one night because you wanted "extra cuddles." i saw the baby in you that night.
enjoyed our family movie night and requested bacon, watermelon, carrots, and popcorn as your movie buffet dinner.
were so excited about our new fruit and lilac trees that you spent all afternoon watering them and caring for them.
had your ballet pictures done before the big recital and you did so great. i'm very proud of you.
started writing a new book. i can't wait to see the finished product!

a busy weekend

Bluebirdbaby — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:38:33 -0400

don't forget!!! the next creative photography e-course starts TOMORROW! sign up here now!!

we had a very busy weekend! planting fruits trees, hauling alpaca manure for the raised beds, going out to our favorite little spot to grab a drink, ballet pictures before the big recital, writing books, movie night with a buffet of our favorites, planting our first greens, and ending it all with smores before starting our very busy week.

what did you do?!

3 Crow

Bluebirdbaby — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:34:47 -0400

mark and i try to have a real, honest to goodness date night once a week. whether it's just drinks someplace special, a picnic as the sun sets, or a fancy dinner at a great restaurant, we have found it's just really nice to step outside our home life and experience something different as a couple.

he wears his fancy jeans and shoes, and i'll throw on a dress or silk shirt and apply more than just mascara. it feels good to really put some effort into how we look for each other!

this week we headed to a new place in rockland called 3 Crow. i was fortunate enough to do some of their photography, which was just a dream because the place couldn't be more beautiful. and to top it off, our friends tara and josh started it all up! and guess what? tara is one of the state's top pastry chefs.

i wasn't planning on even sharing on here that i took some photos for them, because i already did here, but our dinner last night was just unbelievable. it was so good that i really wanted to tell everyone i bumped into today that i had the most fabulous dining experience of my life at 3 Crow.

because you see, there is a gluten-free option for just about everything. i had gluten-free fancy fried onions, mark had a gluten-free baguette, we shared a shaved brussel sprout and bacon salad, ordered more fried onions, then had the quail main dish wrapped in bacon and served over grits with a side of spring radishes. and then...oh then...we had our choice of anything we wanted from the dessert menu, because guess what? it was ALL gluten-free. all of it. we ordered the coconut cream puffs covered in chocolate and butterscotch pudding.

sometimes you just have to NOT be paleo. and this was so amazing.

i think for people who are not gluten-free, maybe you will not completely appreciate my enthusiasm and, quite possibly...shock, about my experience last night at dinner. you see, having celiac's basically means that anytime i eat outside of my own home i am risking a reaction. and my reactions are not pleasant. and it's more often than not that it happens when we go out.

last night i didn't have to worry. i simply enjoyed my dining experience with amazing food that was the best i've ever had. and my belly had never felt better!

so thank you, tara and josh, for creating a fabulous restaurant with amazing food and a beautiful environment!

and to all you mainer's...get out to 3 Crow! you won't be disappointed!

the beach

Bluebirdbaby — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:23:56 -0400

we had our first spring beach visit this past weekend. we went down to a favorite little beach of ours and met some friends. despite the cold, wind, and frigid atlantic ocean temperatures, the girls promptly requested their swimsuits and headed for the water.

we all said they were nuts, but it didn't matter. they found a warm tidepool and hopped right in.

they ran in the sand, explored a driftwood fort, and made a sand cafe where they served us all kinds of yummy creations!

the car is still filled with sand, as it will be all summer long. it's a nice little reminder that the warmth is returning and the short, cold days are coming to an end. we are so ready...

how was your weekend? what adventures did you go on?

the winner!

Bluebirdbaby — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:06:39 -0400

hey everyone! i wanted to draw your attention to the lovely sponsors on the sidebar to the right! you'll notice a new category at the top for "featured sponsors." these sponsors help make this blog possible! it takes a whole lot of time to be here, and while i love it, it is nice to be somewhat compensated for the time and energy i put into this space! so please check out the sponsors...click on their images and check out their amazing products all Bluebirdbaby approved!

and also, i'm offering a special for the month of may for any new sponsorships, so please e-mail me to find out more!

thank you for all your lovely comments on the video from the giveaway post!

Random.org chose number #24:

Rebecca said...

I want to be the best that I can be and I am so very interested in taking your photography course. On my blog in my small space about who I am, on the left sidebar I have written: "i use the photos i take to inspire the poetry inside me. i use the life i live to weave my love of language into fables & tales & projects to share." This is me. I am a visual poetic person I want to go deeper in this creative outlet for me.

I would love to be involved in a creative group where we are all pushing ourselves to learn more and do more with the photography. To really KNOW how to do something you have to spend time with it everyday, and as another blogger said recently (quoting the Outliers) you may need to spend 10,000 hours to master something you truly want to take on and learn about. I see taking a course as part of this next step. This summer I will be going on a road trip with my boys in tribute to my mother who passed away in October. We will be traveling through the southwest to the places she loved to visit. I want to be able to document this journey as best as I am able.

Rebecca...I'll send you an e-mail! Congrats! And thanks to all who entered.

Also, I have wanted to mention before (but found it a bit tricky to do so!) that if any readers out there are very interested in taking the Eyes Open Creative Photography e-course, and just can't quite afford it, please e-mail me. I work with individuals with all kinds of budgets, because...well, I've been there and am there myself. So I understand! Just e-mail me at "erinlittlephoto (@) gmail.com"

..................................................................................................................

It's the start of another busy, jam-packed week. Phew! And the season will only get busier. Mark and I are working oh so hard (both having seasonal jobs and all...) and have many house projects going right now. Painting the bathroom, bedroom, putting in 6 raised beds (more on that later!), painting the whole exterior of the church (oh my), and working all of our jobs to make ends meet. It's a lot.

I've got lots of thoughts and ideas and happenings to share here, so check back often this week...

What are your plans fo the week?

xoxo

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Bluebirdbaby — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:46:44 -0400

this week you:

watched "The Swiss Family Robinson" for our family movie night and loved it
made mark buy a coconut because of the above movie, which he had to drill and then hammer open. after all that work, you wouldn't even try it!
had your first trip to the beach in your bathing suit. we thought you were crazy, but you and your friend were actually swimming in the ocean. you didn't want to leave!
found a spotted salamander under a pot on the side of the house. it was black with yellow spots. we had never seen something like that in maine before!
played the piano for hours, making up your own songs and putting on concerts. you also made me play so you could sing all kinds of funny songs.

16/52

Bluebirdbaby — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:41:57 -0400

a week late...again....

this week you:

learned "etude" on your violin. you are so excited about the Bach minuets next!
got four postcards from mama and mark when we were in california
helped mama shovel loam into our new gardens
picked out some lovely nasturtiums to plant in our pots for the front steps
ate loads of fresh pineapple and berries
had your first dunk in the galvanized tub with hose water. brrr!
played in the pile of dirt with your horses for hours

Pinhole Press!

Bluebirdbaby — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:00:07 -0400

Have you ever heard of Pinhole Press? I have used them before for holiday cards, and just recently designed a photo book of the little one to surprise someone special. I absolutely adore their sleek templates and easy to use online software program to design them!

It was so easy to do, and I literally was able to do a WHOLE year's worth of photos in one book! I am very excited to make this a yearly tradition, because so many of my photos just sit on my computer or hard drives. This way, the little one will have memorable albums documenting each year of her life!

It's also the perfect Mother's Day gift!

They are offering free shipping until May 1st! So go design yours now!

We especially love these Pinhole Press products:

right around the corner...and a giveaway

Bluebirdbaby — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:44:25 -0400

Behind the Scenes with a love supreme photography from Erin Little on Vimeo.

the next e-course is right around the corner! starting on may 6th, it will take you through 6 weeks of amazing photographic information, personal help, and artistic exploration!

have you ever seen the above video? did i share that before? it's part of the course...it gives you some ideas on how i do what i do. and i walk you all through it in the course!

as always, i'm offering a spot to one lucky reader! all you have to do is:

"like" the Facebook page here
"share" it with your friends (or if you don't have FB, but have a blog...a shout out would be great!)
leave a comment and tell me how you got interested in photography

The winner will be chosen on Sunday at 8 EST! Also, receive 10% off with coupon code: "aprilshowers"...offer expires on the 29th!

GOOD LUCK! xo

california.

Bluebirdbaby — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:22:11 -0400

what can i say about california? once again i fell completely in love with everything there. i am a west coast girl at heart, for sure. mark got his first taste of west coast air and is completely smitten as well. he didn't want to leave, and neither did i! any blog readers living out there (in CA)...do you ever want to do a house swap for a week?!

the wedding was spectacular and marvelous...better than i ever could have imagined. we spent all of saturday shooting at the beautiful el encanto hotel, and the rest of the time was spent riding our beach cruisiers through the city, laying on the beach, and relaxing at our awesome Airbnb house.

i went running everyday, and at one point even joined in on a 5k race by mistake! we walked miles and miles everyday, ate fresh fruit and drank champagne, and soaked up as much sun as we possibly could.

we marveled at all of the plants and gardens and fruit trees and beautiful birds. we sat in the sun to enjoy our morning coffee on the patio, and ate dinner on State Street at a great place that immediately became our favorite.

it was hard coming home to 30 degree weather, especially after a long red-eye flight. we are trying to settle back into maine life with our layers and sweaters and wool socks. but boy...we'll be really excited when we get to go back and smell that sweet california air again...

more CA photos here!

how have you been?!

somebody had enough...

Bluebirdbaby — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

of the camera :) she's been dealing with me practicing my new camera for too long now, i think...