365 Love Letters Week 12

My daughter is (half) asleep in my arms as I type this one handed. I get a little lonely at night sometimes when I finish editing these photos. I stare at picture after picture of my daughter and get strangely excited for her 1 am feeding so I can see her squishy cheeks in person again, and kiss them.  She wouldn't let me put her back down so here I am, finishing this post one handed. But I can't get mad cause her smile in these photos are so sweet.

Another week of letters. I'm having more fun with these each day. Advice gets hard sometimes but something usually comes to me by the end of the day. Big thanks to Rachael for suggesting Day 84's advice! I love that quote. I'm am saving your other suggestions to give to Lil' J as I continue these.

Anne Geddes' people sent her new book to my job. I saw it up for grabs and snatched it up. It's inspired me to try to get more creative with my photos. I hope to have one funky/cute/creative photo to add to the mix next week.

My favorite photo this week is Day 81.I loved her expression, her cute hat, and the bright sky. The love letter is a bit cliche but oh so true!

Thanks again for letting me share these with you! As a thank you, everyone who comments on this post before April 11th will be entered to win an Easter onesie from Tutus by Gayle. There's a photo example at the end of this post!

****

Thanks for reading! Everyone who comments on this post before 4/10 will be entered to win a custom Easter onseies from Tutus by Gayle, between newborn and size 18-months. Use code "BABYMAKINGMAMA" to get free shipping. Friend her on facebook or twitter for an extra entry. Winner will be announced randomly drawn and announced on my facebook page.

365 Love Letters Week 13

I'm starting to take this picture-taking thing a little too seriously. I hurry home from work to get her ready, then we head out to a fun location to snap some shots. I either come home in a really good mood for capturing some of my new favorite photos, or a bad mood because something went wrong. Not unlike my husband's moods based on his team winning or losing a game. I keep telling myself it's all for fun but I always try too hard to be so good at everything--I think there's some advice in this experience somewhere. Actually Day 91's advice came after a tough evening of trying to get the perfect shot. It's probably my favorite letter to her this week, but Day 87 is probably my favorite photo.

Once again, there's a giveaway at the end of this post. My treat this week

Plush Blue Whale Skirt c/o Jilly Bo Billy Boutique

Headband c/o Elle Belle's Boutique Room Seven Dawn Dress c/o Jilly Billy Boutique

Pink Bohemian Dress: Goodwill $2

Have I mentioned my addition to Etsy? I'm constantly looking for deals and I'm going to share what I find with you and try to bring you a weekly giveaway/feature on my 365 posts. Yesterday I found AJ and Bella Designs, a shop that sells crocheted Mary Jane slippers for $5! I ordered some in yellow and white to match Lil' J's Easter dress.  
Everyone who comments on this post before next week's 365 post goes up, will be entered to win their own little pair. I'll announce the winner on my Facebook page. Good luck!

365 Love Letters Week 14

It's getting harder and harder to be happy with my photographs. The better I get the higher my expectations. I'm not satisfied until I get "the shot" and there are days that doesn't happen.

I just realized today that all of my photos this week have her in them. I try to switch it up sometimes, and I did take some other photos but these were my favorites.

One photo I took this week I LOVED, she's laughing and scrunching her face all up. It's a candid. I didn't edit it or anything because I just love the snapshot in it's raw form capturing her and her sweet personality. I would have used it as a 365 but I loved another photo I captured on day 95 more for the purpose of her book. Here's day 95 runner up :)



Ralph Lauren Polo dress via Ross

And here are the rest of them this week. My favorite is probably day 99 or day 97. She just looked so cute! Snoop also reemerged in photos this week. I need to take more photos of them together. I take quite a bit but most are on my phone (as the one this week was). They really love each other. And as you'll see in another photo this week, she's fearless around animals.

Day 100 is Sunday and I am feeling so much pressure to make it good but I have no idea what I'll do!

 There's another etsy find and giveaway of the week at the end of this post! Thanks again for letting me share these with you!

Spring Flower Party Dress from Monkey and Friends Etsy

Flower Peasant Dress from Monkey and Friends

Bunny hat from Mary Sue




Sporty Tam Tam Twozie and Capris from Agoo

 

Ralph Lauren Polo dress via Ross

 

Gap Pear Dress: Ebay find

Everyone who comments on this post and tells me what they like from Amy's Buttons and Bows before next Monday the 18th will be entered to win a ruffle bloomers and hair bow set. You can comment again if you "like" her on facebook for an extra entry and get an extra entry for every friend you refer to like her page as well. This is a $34 value. Amy will use random.org to draw the winner on the 19th. Good luck!

365 Love Letters Week 15

What a week! I must say I didn't think my 365 would make it this far, but I'm glad it has! Over 100 days down so far and about 259 days to go... Yikes! Now that I've written so many of these daily love letters I'm forgetting if I've already said some things to her. Some are beginning to feel cliche, and others lacking creativity, but they're all still coming from the same place--My heart. And I don't think she'll mind if some are slightly corny.

The funny thing, I know many people have a hard time remembering to take a photo every day. My problem is I literally take dozens of photos a day. It's impossible which to choose to use for her letter. I usually try to pick one that brings a message to my mind, like day 106. When I saw her beautiful eyes, that saying came to mind.

Snoop made the cut again this week. I was working in the front yard before taking this photo and she and Snoop were watching me. When I came inside they were still staring outside so I snapped this picture. I took a photo of them together the next day too and thought I'd have a special Snoop week but I liked some other photos I took better so maybe next time! I want to try to take some shots of the three or four of us, we don't have any pictures of the whole entire family (including Snoop) yet so maybe that will be a good challenge this week. Shoot, that would have been good for a day 100, oh well.

You're going to love my Etsy find of the week at the bottom too! Take note of day 104.

My favorite this week may be day 101. But I also love 106 even though it's cliche.

Mauve Victorian Flower Headband from Bella Fleur

Spring Flowers Party Dress from Monkey and Friends

Ladybug Clippie from Cutie Patoody 6 for $12; dress from Sumos Sweet Stuff $10

Organic Cotton Girls Top and Bottom with Skirt from My Natural Baby Boutique

Bubble Romper from Sassy Stitches Boutique $26

I just ordered some more of these cute butterfly bows. Cutie Patoody is my Etsy find of the week. I stumbled upon her shop looking for cute hair bows and fell in love with these buggy bows. I just bought lady bugs, more butterflies and bumble bees. She sent me an extra light pink pair of ladybugs for a giveaway! So everyone who comments before the 26th will be entered to win. "Like" her facebook page on facebook and comment here or under this same photo of Lil' J wearing her buggy bow on my facebook page letting me know you did and you'll get an extra entry! I'll draw the winner using random.org.

365 Love Letters Week 16

Ugh! I love my baby so much. Every day in these love letters I get writers block and can only think of saying what I tell her every day several times a day "I love you I love you I love you!" I know she loves me too and sometimes that's what gets me through the day.

I tried to be more creative this week with taking photos. I took some indoors, some outdoors, and played around with the editing more this week. I've been processing these differently. I used to take [dozens, then choose] a photo a day and write and edit it that night. But lately I've been taking the [dozens of] photos each day, and choosing a daily favorite at the end of the week, then writing them all together. This next week I'm going to try to go back to the old way and upload them each day on my facebook page each night. There's something special about completing one each day.

My favorite this week is probably Day 112. By habit I'm normally trying to get her whole little body in frame but with this shot I zoomed in to get her little hand going for a dandelion and I loved the way it came out. I took two quick shots and the one before you can see more of her hat, but I liked this one more, which focused more on her hand. My advice to her came naturally after editing this photo.

Thanks again for letting me share these with you. There's another Etsy find and giveaway at the end of this post! :) Happy Easter! From me and my little bunny. PS: 3 photos don't seem to be appearing via some browsers. I'll try to fox it in the morning but I promise all 7 are here! :)

Bunny ears and bottoms from Mary Sue, email me for her contact info! (She has AWESOME rates!)

Upcycled Arriane Headband from Little Smash (use code "babymakingmachine" for 10% off); Upcycled skirt from Wendy Miracle; Bubble shirt from HEB

Alisa hat from UnravelMe (use code "BABYMAKIN20" for 20% off); Pink Peasant Dress from Goodwill

Dragonflies and Butterflies Dress from Crochet Play; Marleigh headband from Little Smash (use code "babymakingmachine" for 10% off)

Shoes from See Kai Run

Little Smash is this week's Etsy find. Everyone who comments on this post will be entered to win a hairbow of choice from LittleSmash Etsy. "Like" her on Facebook and tell her I sent you for extra entry. It's a brand new Etsy shop, with an affordable style of bows I haven't seen before. I'm now addicted. If you can't wait to win you can use code "babymakingmachine" to save 10% off your purchases. Good luck! Contest ends when next week's 365 post goes up!

365 Love Letters Week 16

This may be my favorite week of photos so far. Once again I uploaded these on my Facebook Page each day and it really gave me motivation to get through the day... As strange as that sounds.

Someone asked me a few weeks ago if my husband helps me go out and do some of these photo shoots or if I carry everything myself. I do it all myself! The photo he's in this week I took with my remote and he did help me bring my stuff out for that one. Oh, and he does help me load up the car before Lil' J and I get out to our location, but usually it's just me and my girl doing our thang, and me carrying tons of equipment on my own, plus a baby. It's quite the sight I tell ya.

This is really turning into a HUGE hobby of mine. It's crazy seeing how my pictures are evolving from day 1 to now. I'm thinking of doing a DIY indoor studio. I'll post my progress if I get that going.

Anyway, each of these photos has a little story so I'll caption them all. My favorite is probably 117 or 119. It was the first real good sad photo I've caught of her and it breaks my heart every time I look at it. It almost makes me feel bad for taking it, but I want to remember every moment.

Bow and bubble dress (better photo coming soon) from Sumos Sweet Stuff

She wouldn't let go of my legs, and really wanted me to pick her up. 90% of the time when I'm at home and standing, if I look down I'll see this.

We were taking photos and she was so happy looking at the cows. But after a bit I think her teeth started bothering her again. The only way I could keep her happy was by singing "the grand old Duke of York" when I stopped she'd cry. I snapped this picture before I picked her up.

Piano from CSN Stores

Her new piano. She LOVES this thing. I'll post a video later this week. She was in bed when I snapped this or else you'd see her banging it.

Headband from Bella Fleur Boutique

We were doing a photoshoot for the headband but she wanted to be close to me, I turned the camera around and snapped this.

Up-cycled vintage dress from Wendy Miracle; Bow from Little Smash

She could catch flies with this mouth. She was so proud of climbing in and out of the front door.

Polo Dress via Ebay; Hat from Toile Tails

By this I don't mean "settle" but be grateful. Don't get jealous of what others have because you'll never have it all if you think that way.

Her dress: Burlington Coat Factory; My dress: DEB

Our family Easter photo. Smiling darling husband and all... Oh shoot, minus Snoop, ok I'll try to get all four of us in one next week! For the first time ever!

Which one is your favorite? And if you're doing a 365 let me know! I keep discovering new ones!

365 Love Letters Week 17

This week was insanely busy. My blog has been put on the back burner because of work, exhaustion, and a new hobby... Which I'll probably delve more into later this week but I bet you could guess it. I also have a post coming about Number Two. Watch out!

First off, Happy Mother's Day! This is my first one! My baby and hubby surprised me with breakfast and the first season of Glee (love that show!). I only got to watch one episode before running off to work but I hadn't seen it, or about half of the first season before, so it'll be nice to fill my addiction while I wait for Tuesdays to roll around.

I haven't taken my Mother's Day 365 photo yet but I'm hoping I'll be able to take one with her before she goes to bed tonight.

I hope you like this weeks photos as much as I did! Day 124 I drew a blank on the advice I was looking for so asked for suggestions on facebook and Wendy and RaNette gave me the perfect phrase for it (and if you two have blogs let me know and I'll link you here!). It gave me an idea to maybe have you all help me write them once a week if you want.

Anyway, here's my love letters of the week. Also, for commenting on this post you're entered in a giveaway for some hair clippies from Cutie Patoodie. I have addiction to these buggy bows. I bought 12 and she sent an extra pair of Bubble Bee ones (seen in Day 125). Just leave a comment and you're entered, but it would also be nice if you like her on facebook. You get an extra entry if you do. (I have to draw and announce like a million winners for the giveaways to the right. I'm going to try to get on that tonight on my FB page). 

University of Texas tutu and bow from For Your Princess Designs

 

Butterfly clippies from Cutie Patoody



Bumble Bee Hair Clippies from Cutie Patoody

Bubble dress and hair bow from Sumos Sweet Stuff

Red, blue, green, orange crochet dress and bow from Crochet Play (mention my blog and get 2 free headbands with a dress order)

 
And I'm just now realizing for the first time that she's wearing the same outfit twice. I'm a horrible mother. But to my credit, it's an adorable dress, and it barely fits. We're getting our wear while we can.