Tea & Brie

Another year...

When we first moved into our house, I spent a great deal of time in my garden. Before kids, I spent a great deal of time doing a lot of things!  Thaya was a newborn in the spring, and being a first time mom was easy for me, but I had to sacrafice doing some things I loved to do. Gardening was one of them.  Although I spent a lot of time our there with Thaya, I limited it to the morning and evening.  The garden didn't look as spectacular as it had the year before.  Then I was pregnant with Aubrie over the summer, and I wasn't doing much of anything.  Another year of neglect, and not many blooms to speak of. My flowers were pissed.

This year I was determined to get her up and running again.  I had dreams of big beautiful healthy plants draped over my garden tiers.  Before the end of April, I had all of my beds raked (couldn't afford mulch this year, so I had to turn over what was left from last year) and fertilized.  I was on a roll! I even had 2/3 of them weeded... before... the rain started.

Then it rained for 3 weeks. Straight. Seriously. 3 freaking weeks of rain rain rain.  And then the sun came out. And so did the weeds.  Because, even though it is called "weed and feed", it is no match for rain rain rain and then sun sun sun. 

Once again, my garden is in despair.  I am so overwhelmed by the weeds and how over grown it is, and how much needs to be dead-headed, that I'm close to going in and out the back door so I don't have to think about it.

But then I remind myself that if I spend an hour a day in the garden, it will look beautiful... by... well... probably in time for the first frost.

But, that's what gardening is all about, right?

This post is dedicated to my mom, who, despite spending countless hours helping me and my garden, still has a big beautiful (thriving) garden of her own.  Happy Birthday, Mom! You still manage to amazing me :)

Happy 4th

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe weekend!

Milestones & Before/After

Just a note to let you know that Aubrie took her first steps this morning.  Just shy of 10 months, she is following closely in her sisters footsteps (aaaahahahahha) by walking early.  Of course, later today she would note repeat the steps, but I bet she will be walking on her own on a consistent basis within the next two weeks. Go baby go!

And, in celebration of this milestone, here is a before/after of a picture I snapped of Brie.  I feel like I am at that point in my photography that I second guess everything I do and I don't like anything that I come up with.  Then I look at the picture and have to convince myself why I like it the way it is.  Oh well. I like this one because I love how the processing warmed the picture a bit, her face is a bit more consistent with the highlights, and her eyes are a gorgeous shade of blue.  Maybe I just have my mommy glasses on!

 (left sooc, right pp)
12x12 crop
Lassoed Eyes, refined edges, unsharp mask at 20,25,0

TRA:

yin/yang to even out her face a little
claire ify @ 20%
pool party @ 15%
tap shoes @ 10%

And that's it.  We're planning on spending the weekend with family, and I can't wait :)  I hope you all have an awesome 4th.

Before I go... I'm desperatly trying to learn how to use my flash. Anyone have any good tutorials that they know of that really dumb it down? I found this site which has helped a little, but I feel *so* lost.  I these images with such beautiful light and I wonder why I can't get that same effect.  Oh well. More practice I suppose!

Enjoy your weekend!
xo
meg

Birthday Wishes

We love you, Pop Pop!

Have a Happy Birthday!

We can't wait to see you this weekend!

xoxo

Tea & Brie

Quintessential Moments

Brie, the little sister, already trying to be like her big sis.  She loves her, everything about her.  She goes crawling down the hall yelling for her when she leaves the room.  If she wakes up early for nap, and his sister is still asleep, she'll try to break away from in order to knock on her big sister's door until she wakes up.  She calls her "A-ya".  She holds her hand in the car and she will start screaming matches that end in a fit of giggles.

And then there is Thaya.  I doubt she remembers a time without Brie in it, and yet she is still growing into her role as big sister.  It is all Aubrie knows, it has been who she is since she was born, a part of her that has strengthened as she develops.  Thaya, on the other hand, is growing into the role.  Here she is, together but separate.  So typical. Her shirt is up, trying to lure her daddy into tickling her belly.  Her face is molded into some goofy grin.

And there they are, the two of them, on the edge of their little booster seats just waiting.  Waiting to see what their daddy will do next.  Tickle their belly, make a funny face or noise.... their anticipation is contagious.  Aubrie's hand on Thaya's tray, and Thaya already starting to squirm with joy.

For my Best Shot Monday, this is one of my quintessential moments.