Thursday, March 17, 2011
Oh, Latimer Land - you poor neglected baby!
You poor, poor neglected blog! Where have I been? Here, there, and every where I guess! I promise lots of new posts coming soon. I've even finished the laundry room make-over that I must show you all!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I need your VOTE!!!!
I'm a finalist in Melissa Zihlman Photography's Continental Give-away!!! I'm currently in second place, and the contest ends tonight! Please log on and vote for me! You can vote from more than one computer/electronic device, BUT only once from each. Please help a sister out!!! Voting ends at 8pm tonight!
VOTE HERE
Here is my entry:
The loves of my life.
Like any mother would say: unequivocally, without a doubt, beyond measure . . .
The loves of my life are my children. 5 year old Brooklyn and 3 year old Jake.
Brooklyn is such a sweet, passive soul. She wears her heart on her sleeve and cares for everyone she meets which I think is why she is such a worrier! She is constantly making sure that everyone around her is happy and well taken care of. Her best friend is her cat, Zyrtec, who she treats just like her own baby. Even though she is only 5 years old, I know that she will be an amazing mother one day. God gave me Brooklyn to teach me about humility, caring, and selflessness, and I learn from her daily.
Jake is our charmer - my husband says that he has me wrapped around his little finger. Of course, I deny this, but secretly inside I’m smiling at the accusation. It’s true - that little boy could get me to do anything by just scrunching up his eyes and wrinkling his tiny bud of a nose and saying, “Mommy, pweeze!”. He’s wild; he’s fun; and my personal favorite, he’s a Grade A cuddler. His favorite spot is wedged right up next to me on the couch. He’ll stay there for hours just to be close to me. Some of my favorite moments are when Jake leans into me and rubs my face right before he tells me “I wuv u, Mommy”.
I could go on and on about how much I love my children and just how much they have changed my life for the better. I would LOVE to have a family session with MZP to capture these fleeting moments with my kiddos and my husband. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, I would treasure those moments forever.
But . . . that’s not why I want to win this session . . .
I want to win this session, not for me, but for the loves of my life - my children. I want to celebrate one of the most special relationships in the life of a child - that between a child and his/her grandparents.
I recently lost my grandfather who was just like a dad to me. My PawPaw was the most amazing man I have EVER met. He was caring and kind and selfless and funny - I see him in both of my children all the time. I miss him more than words can say and think of him often. And when I look at pictures of him, it’s almost as if he’s right there beside me. We just have blurry snapshots of him - mostly at Christmas or another family holiday. I wouldn’t take all of the money in the world for these pictures, but I wish that I had images of me and him together that truly encompassed the wonderful love we had for each other.
This is what I want for Brooklyn and Jake.
I want this for my loves - who have already lost one grandfather when Brooklyn was 3.5 and Jake was just over a year old. I realize that I should have done something like this back then, so that my children would have amazing images to look back on and remember their time with Granddaddy. It’s too late for those now.
But it’s not too late for Nanny and Mimi and DudDud!
Nanny (my mother) and Mimi and DudDud (my husband’s parents) are the light of Brooklyn and Jake’s lives. For them, nothing is better than a weekend spent at Mimi and DudDud’s eating pizza, going for a stroll around the neighborhood, and dancing the night away on Mimi’s stage (which is really just their foyer at the bottom of the stairs!). And nothing can compare to the weekends when Nanny spends the night with us - staying up late watching movies and eating popcorn, playing Frontierville (or whatever the newest game is on FaceBook!), or going bargain hunting at the neighborhood yard sales early each Saturday morning.
I want to document the way that Brooklyn and Jake run full force into their grandparents arms when seeing them for the first time in a while; I want to document the look of pure joy on their faces as they sit in their grandparents laps and listen to stories and books; but mostly I just want to document the sweet love that radiate off of all of them when they are together.
There is something so unconditional and reciprocal about the love between grandchildren and grandparents. It’s indescribable.
This is the love that I hope to have MZP capture for the loves of my life, Brooklyn and Jake. Moments spent with their grandparents. Memories that, throughout their lifetime, will warm their hearts and bring back those
feelings of security and ultimate love.
VOTE HERE
Here is my entry:
The loves of my life.
Like any mother would say: unequivocally, without a doubt, beyond measure . . .
The loves of my life are my children. 5 year old Brooklyn and 3 year old Jake.
Brooklyn is such a sweet, passive soul. She wears her heart on her sleeve and cares for everyone she meets which I think is why she is such a worrier! She is constantly making sure that everyone around her is happy and well taken care of. Her best friend is her cat, Zyrtec, who she treats just like her own baby. Even though she is only 5 years old, I know that she will be an amazing mother one day. God gave me Brooklyn to teach me about humility, caring, and selflessness, and I learn from her daily.
Jake is our charmer - my husband says that he has me wrapped around his little finger. Of course, I deny this, but secretly inside I’m smiling at the accusation. It’s true - that little boy could get me to do anything by just scrunching up his eyes and wrinkling his tiny bud of a nose and saying, “Mommy, pweeze!”. He’s wild; he’s fun; and my personal favorite, he’s a Grade A cuddler. His favorite spot is wedged right up next to me on the couch. He’ll stay there for hours just to be close to me. Some of my favorite moments are when Jake leans into me and rubs my face right before he tells me “I wuv u, Mommy”.
I could go on and on about how much I love my children and just how much they have changed my life for the better. I would LOVE to have a family session with MZP to capture these fleeting moments with my kiddos and my husband. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, I would treasure those moments forever.
But . . . that’s not why I want to win this session . . .
I want to win this session, not for me, but for the loves of my life - my children. I want to celebrate one of the most special relationships in the life of a child - that between a child and his/her grandparents.
I recently lost my grandfather who was just like a dad to me. My PawPaw was the most amazing man I have EVER met. He was caring and kind and selfless and funny - I see him in both of my children all the time. I miss him more than words can say and think of him often. And when I look at pictures of him, it’s almost as if he’s right there beside me. We just have blurry snapshots of him - mostly at Christmas or another family holiday. I wouldn’t take all of the money in the world for these pictures, but I wish that I had images of me and him together that truly encompassed the wonderful love we had for each other.
This is what I want for Brooklyn and Jake.
I want this for my loves - who have already lost one grandfather when Brooklyn was 3.5 and Jake was just over a year old. I realize that I should have done something like this back then, so that my children would have amazing images to look back on and remember their time with Granddaddy. It’s too late for those now.
But it’s not too late for Nanny and Mimi and DudDud!
Nanny (my mother) and Mimi and DudDud (my husband’s parents) are the light of Brooklyn and Jake’s lives. For them, nothing is better than a weekend spent at Mimi and DudDud’s eating pizza, going for a stroll around the neighborhood, and dancing the night away on Mimi’s stage (which is really just their foyer at the bottom of the stairs!). And nothing can compare to the weekends when Nanny spends the night with us - staying up late watching movies and eating popcorn, playing Frontierville (or whatever the newest game is on FaceBook!), or going bargain hunting at the neighborhood yard sales early each Saturday morning.
I want to document the way that Brooklyn and Jake run full force into their grandparents arms when seeing them for the first time in a while; I want to document the look of pure joy on their faces as they sit in their grandparents laps and listen to stories and books; but mostly I just want to document the sweet love that radiate off of all of them when they are together.
There is something so unconditional and reciprocal about the love between grandchildren and grandparents. It’s indescribable.
This is the love that I hope to have MZP capture for the loves of my life, Brooklyn and Jake. Moments spent with their grandparents. Memories that, throughout their lifetime, will warm their hearts and bring back those
feelings of security and ultimate love.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Photo Collaboration Project
A great photographer and friend of mine, Cherron (www.raininglightphotos.com) have teamed up for a 52 week project this year. I am so excited b/c one of my goals this year is to shoot more for MYSELF and my love of creating images and not 100% for client work. This project is perfect b/c it forces me to think outside the box and get really funky and creative. I'm having so much fun with it!
Week 1: Childhood
From the get-go, I had an image in my mind of what I was going to shoot - Brooklyn's Barbies all strewn out in front of her Dream House. B/c when I think of my childhood, it was LITTERED with Barbies. Seriously - littered. And I did take those images, but they just weren't what I envisioned in my head.
As I was sitting on the floor of our family room, I glanced across the hall into Jake's room and caught a glimpse of his Bear Bear.
Boom! Lightning bolt! Who doesn't have a special teddy bear or other stuffed animal growing up? I had a manatee from Gulf World in Florida that I slept with until Rob gave me the "it's him or me" ultimatum.
I love Cherron's artwork idea!!!
Week 2: Fruit
As some of you might know, the second week of January 2011 wasn't easy for me. My grandfather passed away unexpectedly one day before his 82 birthday - on MY birthday. We were out of the country on a cruise celebrating my 30th. And couldn't get back in the country right away. It was excruciating not being able to be there for my grandmother. Thankfully, we made it back in time for the visitation and funeral, and then we stayed with my grandmother for a few days just to keep her company.
When I got back home, I had NO groceries in the house! (Brooklyn said it was like we were homeless - I said, "Brooklyn, homeless people don't have a home - we have a home." To which she replies, "Well, we are just really poor b/c we have no food." Nice observation, B.)
So, no groceries - other than some week and a half old apples.
This week's assignment is CUP. Gonna be a toughie . . .
Week 1: Childhood
From the get-go, I had an image in my mind of what I was going to shoot - Brooklyn's Barbies all strewn out in front of her Dream House. B/c when I think of my childhood, it was LITTERED with Barbies. Seriously - littered. And I did take those images, but they just weren't what I envisioned in my head.
As I was sitting on the floor of our family room, I glanced across the hall into Jake's room and caught a glimpse of his Bear Bear.
Boom! Lightning bolt! Who doesn't have a special teddy bear or other stuffed animal growing up? I had a manatee from Gulf World in Florida that I slept with until Rob gave me the "it's him or me" ultimatum.
Week 2: Fruit
As some of you might know, the second week of January 2011 wasn't easy for me. My grandfather passed away unexpectedly one day before his 82 birthday - on MY birthday. We were out of the country on a cruise celebrating my 30th. And couldn't get back in the country right away. It was excruciating not being able to be there for my grandmother. Thankfully, we made it back in time for the visitation and funeral, and then we stayed with my grandmother for a few days just to keep her company.
When I got back home, I had NO groceries in the house! (Brooklyn said it was like we were homeless - I said, "Brooklyn, homeless people don't have a home - we have a home." To which she replies, "Well, we are just really poor b/c we have no food." Nice observation, B.)
So, no groceries - other than some week and a half old apples.
This week's assignment is CUP. Gonna be a toughie . . .
Friday, January 21, 2011
Someone LOVES the new laundry room . . .
And I couldn't post a pic of one fur baby w/o the other:
Randy
Randy is the newest member of our family - he'll have his own post a little later.
(for all the photogs reading - this image was taken at iso 4000! I kind of have a love/hate relationship with my 5DMii - this would be the LOVE part!)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sometimes he sleeps . . .
and it's the most beautiful sight. EVER.
It isn't hard for me to remember the days when my almost 3 ("I'M FOUR, MAMAAAAAAAA!!!") year oldterror sweet son was a tiny infant. I think I remember collages of days as opposed to single moments - having a 2.5 year old and a new baby, I was in such a haze that everything ran together for about the first year. (don't judge - i was just tryin' to survive).
Jake has always been a cuddler - he still is. As I type this, his elbow is digging into my rib cage b/c he is smooshed against me as we sit in a recliner made for one (and one with a butt much smaller than mine, I might add). As a baby, he loved being held - and as he got older, his favorite spot was (again) smooshed up against me on the couch. He learned to hug at a very early age and would just squeeze my neck. He would pat my back whenever I was carrying him - talk about making your heart swell.
Anyhoo, (I'm a rambler, you know . . .) nothing takes me back to those sweet baby days better than watching him sleep. He's so beautiful it takes my breath away . . .
He sleeps, and I forget his frequent tantrums and craziness. And I remember. I remember holding him in the hospital for the first time - this baby of mine who was a complete oops surprise to his Daddy and I. I remember all of those sweet moments awake in the middle of the night for nursing - just Jake and Mommy. I remember cuddling with him just last week while he rubbed my face and said, "Mama, I wuv uuu."
When he sleeps, I remember.
It isn't hard for me to remember the days when my almost 3 ("I'M FOUR, MAMAAAAAAAA!!!") year old
Jake has always been a cuddler - he still is. As I type this, his elbow is digging into my rib cage b/c he is smooshed against me as we sit in a recliner made for one (and one with a butt much smaller than mine, I might add). As a baby, he loved being held - and as he got older, his favorite spot was (again) smooshed up against me on the couch. He learned to hug at a very early age and would just squeeze my neck. He would pat my back whenever I was carrying him - talk about making your heart swell.
Anyhoo, (I'm a rambler, you know . . .) nothing takes me back to those sweet baby days better than watching him sleep. He's so beautiful it takes my breath away . . .
When he sleeps, I remember.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
My Very First (almost) Done-In-A-Day Project
I am so excited to share this post with you!!!
Let me preface it by saying, that a domestic goddess I am NOT. I don't enjoy cooking (even though The Hubs says I'm good at it . . . ). I despise the clean-up afterward. Which leads me into how I hate cleaning. I think I'm allergic to it - every time I clean, I sneeze. (The Hubs will tell you that it's b/c of the extreme amount of dust I am stirring up . . .) I don't see the fun in organizing stuff.
Ok, are you getting the picture, yet?
Come to my house anytime prior to2011 today, and you'll see a big ole bunch of mess. You might run into dirty dishes, piles of laundry - it's prob clean, but you know it hasn't been put up, a floor that needs to be swept AGAIN for the 3rd time that day, etc. Really - there's no telling what you'll see - but chances are that you WON'T see a spotless house. And, well, we're all friends here, right? Let me be honest - you still won't find that immaculate house at Latimer Land. But what you will find is a girl trying to keep things together the best she can while her two hellions angels destroy it as fast they can.
Enter Mission 2011 Turn Around. It's my goal this year to get every room of my home organized. And finally decorated - I'm tired of the mix-match stuff we've had since college. I've found an amazing blog that I am so inspired by: House of Smiths. This girl is so talented when it comes to DIY home projects. I have at least half a dozen of her ideas on my to-do list. The hanging flower balls for B's room, the flower headbands, the canvas frame (can't WAIT for this one!), the pantry make-over (do I even dare????) . . . the list goes on and on.
The one that really caught my eye was her laundry room makeover. I honestly think before reading her post that I never even considered the laundry room to be a room that you would decorate. But she made it look SO GOOD. I just had to give my own dark and dismal beast of a laundry room an overhaul.
And . . .
I did it in ONE day. Yep - 4 hours tops and I only spent $132 total. It's a tiny space, but now it feels so homey! Pretty good I'd say for a room that had NOTHING in it . . . other than cobwebs and dust bunnies.
And a whole lotta dirty laundry -
As you can so clearly see, I had LOTS of cleaning to do. Oddly enough, it didn't take that long. I did end up with 4 trash bags full of junk though.
A clean, but bare laundry room:
yes, my cat's name is Zyrtec - I'm allergic. (see, i'm so funny . . . )
And the reason why it's an (almost) Done in A Day project instead of a Done in A Day project is that The Hubs has to paint for me over the weekend. It's gonna be so yummy!
And for the BIG REVEAL:
So, there she is - my NEW and wayyyyy IMPROVED laundry room. I love it. love it. love it. And I hope you do too! Stay tuned for the final After pictures once the room is painted.
Let me end by saying if I can do this ANYONE ANYONE ANYONE can do this too. Remember? Not a domestic goddess talkin' to ya.
Let me preface it by saying, that a domestic goddess I am NOT. I don't enjoy cooking (even though The Hubs says I'm good at it . . . ). I despise the clean-up afterward. Which leads me into how I hate cleaning. I think I'm allergic to it - every time I clean, I sneeze. (The Hubs will tell you that it's b/c of the extreme amount of dust I am stirring up . . .) I don't see the fun in organizing stuff.
Ok, are you getting the picture, yet?
Come to my house anytime prior to
Enter Mission 2011 Turn Around. It's my goal this year to get every room of my home organized. And finally decorated - I'm tired of the mix-match stuff we've had since college. I've found an amazing blog that I am so inspired by: House of Smiths. This girl is so talented when it comes to DIY home projects. I have at least half a dozen of her ideas on my to-do list. The hanging flower balls for B's room, the flower headbands, the canvas frame (can't WAIT for this one!), the pantry make-over (do I even dare????) . . . the list goes on and on.
The one that really caught my eye was her laundry room makeover. I honestly think before reading her post that I never even considered the laundry room to be a room that you would decorate. But she made it look SO GOOD. I just had to give my own dark and dismal beast of a laundry room an overhaul.
And . . .
I did it in ONE day. Yep - 4 hours tops and I only spent $132 total. It's a tiny space, but now it feels so homey! Pretty good I'd say for a room that had NOTHING in it . . . other than cobwebs and dust bunnies.
And a whole lotta dirty laundry -
As you can so clearly see, I had LOTS of cleaning to do. Oddly enough, it didn't take that long. I did end up with 4 trash bags full of junk though.
A clean, but bare laundry room:
yes, my cat's name is Zyrtec - I'm allergic. (see, i'm so funny . . . )
And the reason why it's an (almost) Done in A Day project instead of a Done in A Day project is that The Hubs has to paint for me over the weekend. It's gonna be so yummy!
And for the BIG REVEAL:
So, there she is - my NEW and wayyyyy IMPROVED laundry room. I love it. love it. love it. And I hope you do too! Stay tuned for the final After pictures once the room is painted.
Let me end by saying if I can do this ANYONE ANYONE ANYONE can do this too. Remember? Not a domestic goddess talkin' to ya.
Welcome to Latimer Land
Hello and Welcome to Latimer Land!
(catchy title, huh? (i use to teach 5th grade, baby!) - and Latimer Land - that's an example of alliteration. don't worry if you didn't know that - i didn't until i had to teach it . . . )
I'm Heather (Latimer if you haven't picked up on that yet) - wife of 7.5 years to Rob and mom to Brooklyn, 5.5, and Jake, so close to 3 we might as well just say he's 3. But if you ask him - he's 4. And he's been 4 for about a year now. For Jake's bday party next weekend, we're inviting everyone to his First 4th Bday Party. Who needs to be three anyways?
I'm a stay-at-home, work-from-home, read-LOTS-of-books-from-home mama to two of the coolest kiddos on the block. Seriously - they are some kind of funny.
I own my own photography biz (Frogs and Faeries) that specializes in newborn and family portraits. I LOVE it - almost every single minute of it (i mean, let's be real - even dream jobs have their moments). I love it so much that it doesn't take much for me to cross the line into obsession with it. Some days it's all I think about - i eat, sleep, breathe it. I'm fortunate to have a successful, growing business. I know this. I also know that my kiddos are only going to be this small for a very short amount of time. My daughter is already just about too big for me to carry her. My son doesn't call me Mommy anymore. I can work for the rest of my life - I can't get back moments I missed b/c I was too busy at the computer while my kiddos played Toy Story 3 Yahtzee in another room; or watched another episode of Yo Gabba Gabba; or played He-Man and She-Ra for hours (yes, my kids have discovered this classic cartoon from my youth - don't judge - we live in the South). I CANNOT get those moments back. Once the are gone, they are GONE.
So with this in mind, The Hubs and I decided that I would really scale back on the business side of things, only take on a select number of clients each month, and really focus on what matters - OUR FAMILY.
BY. FAR. THE. BEST. DECISION. WE. HAVE. EVER. MADE.
Just ask my mother-in-law.
Now, I have time to cook meals each night (sorry kids - no more McDonalds) AND do the dishes afterwards. I have time to do the laundry AND put it up (crazy, i know). I have time sit in the floor with my babies and read them books or give them horsey rides (sorry, knees) or have a Movie Night with un-microwave popcorn (what the heck is that called? you know - you pop it in a pan with a crank under the lid - the real kernels with oil? drawing a blank here).
I just have TIME and it is a breath of fresh air.
So without much more rambling, I have (one more time) time to devote to a family blog and not just my biz blog. I am super excited to start this endeavor. And in all honesty, there no telling what you're gonna read on here. I'm not shy. I don't embarrass easily. (hopefully my kiddos and The Hubs doesn't either)
So, sit back and enjoy the show . . .
Heather
(catchy title, huh? (i use to teach 5th grade, baby!) - and Latimer Land - that's an example of alliteration. don't worry if you didn't know that - i didn't until i had to teach it . . . )
I'm Heather (Latimer if you haven't picked up on that yet) - wife of 7.5 years to Rob and mom to Brooklyn, 5.5, and Jake, so close to 3 we might as well just say he's 3. But if you ask him - he's 4. And he's been 4 for about a year now. For Jake's bday party next weekend, we're inviting everyone to his First 4th Bday Party. Who needs to be three anyways?
I'm a stay-at-home, work-from-home, read-LOTS-of-books-from-home mama to two of the coolest kiddos on the block. Seriously - they are some kind of funny.
I own my own photography biz (Frogs and Faeries) that specializes in newborn and family portraits. I LOVE it - almost every single minute of it (i mean, let's be real - even dream jobs have their moments). I love it so much that it doesn't take much for me to cross the line into obsession with it. Some days it's all I think about - i eat, sleep, breathe it. I'm fortunate to have a successful, growing business. I know this. I also know that my kiddos are only going to be this small for a very short amount of time. My daughter is already just about too big for me to carry her. My son doesn't call me Mommy anymore. I can work for the rest of my life - I can't get back moments I missed b/c I was too busy at the computer while my kiddos played Toy Story 3 Yahtzee in another room; or watched another episode of Yo Gabba Gabba; or played He-Man and She-Ra for hours (yes, my kids have discovered this classic cartoon from my youth - don't judge - we live in the South). I CANNOT get those moments back. Once the are gone, they are GONE.
So with this in mind, The Hubs and I decided that I would really scale back on the business side of things, only take on a select number of clients each month, and really focus on what matters - OUR FAMILY.
BY. FAR. THE. BEST. DECISION. WE. HAVE. EVER. MADE.
Just ask my mother-in-law.
Now, I have time to cook meals each night (sorry kids - no more McDonalds) AND do the dishes afterwards. I have time to do the laundry AND put it up (crazy, i know). I have time sit in the floor with my babies and read them books or give them horsey rides (sorry, knees) or have a Movie Night with un-microwave popcorn (what the heck is that called? you know - you pop it in a pan with a crank under the lid - the real kernels with oil? drawing a blank here).
I just have TIME and it is a breath of fresh air.
So without much more rambling, I have (one more time) time to devote to a family blog and not just my biz blog. I am super excited to start this endeavor. And in all honesty, there no telling what you're gonna read on here. I'm not shy. I don't embarrass easily. (hopefully my kiddos and The Hubs doesn't either)
So, sit back and enjoy the show . . .
Heather
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