Yesterday was like any other weekday for me and Lilly. We played, I did some work on the computer, I attempted to clean up after the world's messiest toddler (she is seriously soooooo messy) and I made us lunch and put Lilly down for her nap. Shortly after her nap, I got a headache. That headache soon turned into a migraine which is something that I used to get a lot of in high school and college but have been lucky for the most part that they've pretty much been phased out of my life. Typically when I get a migraine, nothing really helps other than lying down and drinking some Pepsi. This migraine though, wanted to stay with me throughout the afternoon and didn't feel like leaving. Later in the evening, I decided to close my eyes and just rest, hoping that it would help (I have a hard time sleeping when I have a migraine.) Lilly, recognizing that something was off, came over to me, sat down beside me and started kissing my head and gently rubbing my hair back and forth. In that moment, I was brought back to my childhood. The sensation of her rubbing my head calmed me and soothed me, and within thirty minutes my migraine was gone.
It's that soothing feeling that my mother must have loved when she had me and my sister brush her hair while she was on the couch. We'd grab the white brush from the bathroom, the white brush that my Grandma Schlie would buy whenever we needed a new one that could only be found in the store in Walton, NY down near camp. I can't even begin to remember how many soft bristled brushes we went through as kids, but it was the only brush we ever used. Countless nights me and my sister would brush our mom's hair for $1 to make her feel better. We always used to ask her why she liked having her hair brushed and we never understood why she liked it so much, but I guess as a young kid getting $1, we probably didn't really care what the reason was. It wasn't until last night, that that feeling came over me. My child, who at two and half years old knew that something was wrong with on her own, soothed me and made me feel better. I don't remember whether my mom had headaches or if it was just when she had a tough day at work (I know I can remember that she didn't like one of her co-workers very much!) but I now know that it soothed her and made her feel better. It's silly memories like those that I hold close to my heart as I'm sure my sister does. My dad still has a white brush, which I'm sure has survived this long because me and my sister don't use it on a daily basis to brush our thick hair. SHHHHHHH.......I have a secret......every now and then when I'm home I brush my hair with his brush just to bring some old memories back!
Anyways, I just type up this stuff to not only get it off my chest, but to remember the little things and I feel a lot better just saying it all out loud!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Running
This was a couple of weeks ago right after a session. She just loved running up and down the road in the snow (don't worry, the road has almost no traffic!)
Her hair is crazy......this I know! I'm letting her bangs grow out so they're usually swept to the side since I'm noticing a curl in them as well! She has such crazy curly hair still.
Not much going on here. I have two sessions this weekend though so it'll be a nice change. I'm looking forward to seeing some green outside and start shooting outdoors more. Hopefully Lillian will be a willing model for me this spring and summer with all of her cute summer clothes that I've gotten her so far! I was thinking about trying to learn how to sew again, but at that point I think that I'll have too much on my hands so I'm just going to stick to my camera and knitting needles for now!
I guess that's it for now, gotta get back to designing since I've been away all day running around!
Her hair is crazy......this I know! I'm letting her bangs grow out so they're usually swept to the side since I'm noticing a curl in them as well! She has such crazy curly hair still.
Not much going on here. I have two sessions this weekend though so it'll be a nice change. I'm looking forward to seeing some green outside and start shooting outdoors more. Hopefully Lillian will be a willing model for me this spring and summer with all of her cute summer clothes that I've gotten her so far! I was thinking about trying to learn how to sew again, but at that point I think that I'll have too much on my hands so I'm just going to stick to my camera and knitting needles for now!
I guess that's it for now, gotta get back to designing since I've been away all day running around!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Chocolate
Chocolate was the first word that Lillian spoke and it's certainly a treat for her to have some! Last week when I gave her a little piece her whole face was covered with it, even around her eyes.....this time she did a little better!
Dan took yesterday and today off to relax and work on the kitchen. It's really nice having him home with us for a couple extra days, especially since Dan isn't one to take days off and he really deserves them. Lilly was super good yesterday when she let us sleep until 9 in the morning, which was a really big treat for the both of us. We took a ride up to Glens Falls and went to the outlets in Lake George so I could get some new jeans and then we ate dinner at Olive Garden since we had a gift certificate. Today we're going to work on the kitchen and then tomorrow we're going to check out some pricing on the kitchen sink cabinet. I'm hoping that we'll be able to find a cabinet that is already painted black so that we don't have to sand and paint something down ourselves, but I guess we'll see. We're going to have the sink cabinet black and the rest will be a dark wood when we do the rest of the kitchen. I want the sink cabinet to look like a separate piece anyways which is why we're going ahead and getting it now. Besides the fact that I'm ready for a bigger sink and a dishwasher! Anyways, I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
She's not my baby anymore
She really is growing up way too fast. She brought the bed out of the dining room as I was setting things up for an engagement shoot last week and sat on the bed. Hard to believe that when she was born she was so small that her whole body would fit in half of that bed.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Our House
So our house is still a work in progress and will be for years to come! We had planned to do the bathroom first, but with a leaky old pipe draining each time we flushed the toilet or took a shower, it became evident that the bathroom would be put on hold. So with the leaky pipe, we needed to remove the wall where it's located since the whole cast iron and rotted pipe needed to be removed. So then came the removal of the rest of the dry wall, which in fact wasn't even dry wall......it was more like cardboard. Then the ceiling came down. And then the removal of layers upon layers of laminate flooring on the floor which was on top of the original hardwood floors. So here we go on the tour of the state of our current kitchen!!!
But first an updated outside photo of the house. We'll be painting the front of the house in the spring since we have to rent a boom to get to the upper portion above the front porch because of the slate roof which you can't walk on. We'll be redoing all of the landscaping as well and putting on all new lattice work, etc to make it perfect!
This is yucky pipe that had to be taken out....note the plastic bag we had to cover it up with until it was repaired!
We'll be replacing all of the windows in the house since they're all original and it'd be nice to have windows that work without propping them up!
This is where there must have been a wood burning stove or something at one time. We're trying to get a hold of the son that lives in Rutland so we can find out some more info about the house. We have a new over the range microwave that we'll be putting up as soon as we have a ceiling!
A little surprise when we started lifting up the floor!
This has by far been the worst part of the remodel so far. Thankfully there was only one layer of subfloor, but there were probably 6-7 layers of laminate with some horrible stuff that was placed directly on top of the hardwood. I had to scrape and scrape for hours each day to get it off. Most of it is up now and the rest will be taken off when we sand them down.
The worst part was certainly underneath the stove.......so greasy and smelly. There's virtually no damage to the floor other than the holes from the subfloor so it's a bit odd that they ever covered it up. But we'll bring her back to life like the living room!!
These are the new lights in the kitchen. There's another one in between the windows as well that shines down on the butcher block. This wall will be turning into a half wall soon. I want to open it up and let the breeze from the river flow through the house a little more during the summer time. We're also going to be building a custom island that will house a larger sink and a new dishwasher. I want it to look like a separate piece of cabinetry....more like a piece of furniture. I'm really excited about getting a dishwasher though.....you don't realize how handy are until you don't have one anymore!
The remodel that we're doing right now is just the initial remodel. It was really horrible before and I didn't like being in there. Even though we still have aways to go, I don't mind as much being in there.....even with the studs exposed. So the big remodel in a couple of years will involve us tearing out this entire wall and opening it up to the dining room......like I said....I want it open! All of the cabinets will go on the wall where the stove is and we'll be putting cabinets underneath the windows as well to maximize our storage space. We'll be making the bathroom/laundry downstairs larger and possibly add a stand up shower. With the remodel that we're doing right now, all of the plumbing for the bathroom which is in the kitchen ceiling will be redone since everything is exposed right now. I hate these cabinets, but there's no point replacing them now since they'll all be torn out in a couple of years so we're just going to paint them in the meantime.
And here is the latest project around the fridge. We'll be getting a bigger fridge as well so Dan made the space larger. We're going to add shelves to add even more storage and a custom garbage thingy in the bottom of it. We're just really trying to maximize the space and the closet that was there before was sort of a waste.
So there you have it! Now I'm totally pooped from typing all of that!!!
But first an updated outside photo of the house. We'll be painting the front of the house in the spring since we have to rent a boom to get to the upper portion above the front porch because of the slate roof which you can't walk on. We'll be redoing all of the landscaping as well and putting on all new lattice work, etc to make it perfect!
This is yucky pipe that had to be taken out....note the plastic bag we had to cover it up with until it was repaired!
We'll be replacing all of the windows in the house since they're all original and it'd be nice to have windows that work without propping them up!
This is where there must have been a wood burning stove or something at one time. We're trying to get a hold of the son that lives in Rutland so we can find out some more info about the house. We have a new over the range microwave that we'll be putting up as soon as we have a ceiling!
A little surprise when we started lifting up the floor!
This has by far been the worst part of the remodel so far. Thankfully there was only one layer of subfloor, but there were probably 6-7 layers of laminate with some horrible stuff that was placed directly on top of the hardwood. I had to scrape and scrape for hours each day to get it off. Most of it is up now and the rest will be taken off when we sand them down.
The worst part was certainly underneath the stove.......so greasy and smelly. There's virtually no damage to the floor other than the holes from the subfloor so it's a bit odd that they ever covered it up. But we'll bring her back to life like the living room!!
These are the new lights in the kitchen. There's another one in between the windows as well that shines down on the butcher block. This wall will be turning into a half wall soon. I want to open it up and let the breeze from the river flow through the house a little more during the summer time. We're also going to be building a custom island that will house a larger sink and a new dishwasher. I want it to look like a separate piece of cabinetry....more like a piece of furniture. I'm really excited about getting a dishwasher though.....you don't realize how handy are until you don't have one anymore!
The remodel that we're doing right now is just the initial remodel. It was really horrible before and I didn't like being in there. Even though we still have aways to go, I don't mind as much being in there.....even with the studs exposed. So the big remodel in a couple of years will involve us tearing out this entire wall and opening it up to the dining room......like I said....I want it open! All of the cabinets will go on the wall where the stove is and we'll be putting cabinets underneath the windows as well to maximize our storage space. We'll be making the bathroom/laundry downstairs larger and possibly add a stand up shower. With the remodel that we're doing right now, all of the plumbing for the bathroom which is in the kitchen ceiling will be redone since everything is exposed right now. I hate these cabinets, but there's no point replacing them now since they'll all be torn out in a couple of years so we're just going to paint them in the meantime.
And here is the latest project around the fridge. We'll be getting a bigger fridge as well so Dan made the space larger. We're going to add shelves to add even more storage and a custom garbage thingy in the bottom of it. We're just really trying to maximize the space and the closet that was there before was sort of a waste.
So there you have it! Now I'm totally pooped from typing all of that!!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Now at Pink Ink Studios......
ME!!!!!! Can I just say a big woohoo!!!! I've got some products up in the store now and a lot of ideas for new products! So in the meantime, here's a link to my stuff at Pink Ink and also be sure to check out the retirement sale that's going on right now MY STUFF
and here's a small sampling......
and here's a small sampling......
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Doing a better job....
at keeping up with posting pics of Lillian is easier said than done! Some days she'll let me take her picture and some days she wants nothing to do with me and my camera. I set up my backdrop stand today and she wasn't in the mood. I was able to get a few decent photos though.....
In other news we picked up our new over the range microwave tonight (thanks Pat!) I'm really excited about the extra counter space since the microwave that we have now is the same size as the new one. It's a good microwave and all, but it'll be nice to have that extra space and a light above the cooktop. Dan didn't want to do recessed lights because he didn't think that it fit with the house so I'll be really happy when it gets installed. This weekend Dan is going to be doing the framing around the fridge where we'll be putting some built in shelves on the side. He's going to be making the spot where the fridge is a little large since we'll be getting a new fridge eventually, but in the meantime we're just going to paint the one we have black. It's a newer fridge, but it's on the smaller side and I really want one with the freezer on the bottom.....but that's last on the list. We're going to wait to refinish the floors until all of the plumbing is done so we don't have to worry about it getting any dings.....even though the impatient me wants to get it done before! Hopefully everything will be done in the kitchen within a couple of months. Then we can slowly start to decide what we're going to do in the bathroom which also needs to be torn down to the studs. An older home can certainly be a lot of work, but I wouldn't have it any other way! It has character and charm and it's all ours......and I don't have to worry about putting holes in the walls!!
In other news we picked up our new over the range microwave tonight (thanks Pat!) I'm really excited about the extra counter space since the microwave that we have now is the same size as the new one. It's a good microwave and all, but it'll be nice to have that extra space and a light above the cooktop. Dan didn't want to do recessed lights because he didn't think that it fit with the house so I'll be really happy when it gets installed. This weekend Dan is going to be doing the framing around the fridge where we'll be putting some built in shelves on the side. He's going to be making the spot where the fridge is a little large since we'll be getting a new fridge eventually, but in the meantime we're just going to paint the one we have black. It's a newer fridge, but it's on the smaller side and I really want one with the freezer on the bottom.....but that's last on the list. We're going to wait to refinish the floors until all of the plumbing is done so we don't have to worry about it getting any dings.....even though the impatient me wants to get it done before! Hopefully everything will be done in the kitchen within a couple of months. Then we can slowly start to decide what we're going to do in the bathroom which also needs to be torn down to the studs. An older home can certainly be a lot of work, but I wouldn't have it any other way! It has character and charm and it's all ours......and I don't have to worry about putting holes in the walls!!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
My joy
She really is just about the sweetest little gal there is (most of the time!) She found her princess dress that Aunt Betsy and Uncle Justin got her for Christmas and of course when she realized that it's the same dress that Snow White wears she just had to have it on and started stripping down! I told her that she had to go look at herself in the mirror and this was her reaction when she saw herself.
It's really these type of moments that make me ready for another one......I mean I've been ready for another one for some time now. A lot of people have been asking when we plan on having another one and if we're planning on having another one soon and each time I get asked I'll admit that my heart breaks a little bit. I know it's a natural question to be asked so it's not like I'm upset that people are asking or anything. I guess I get upset because I think that people expect you to have your second child within a certain time frame and while we were fully planning on having another a little sooner, we've decided to wait a little longer than planned. So now I'll get to the part that makes me sad.......I feel like for the first time in my life, I need to be a little selfish. My photography business has grown so much and I've finally found the one thing I was meant to do other than being a mother and I feel like I have to let the business itself blossom a little more. I've put so much into it so far and I still have a long way to go. Knowing that there is a chance that I'll be on bed rest with the next one if my blood pressure gets high again (have I mentioned that my blood pressure was normal for the first time in like 10 years at my last appointment!) means that I won't be able to shoot as many sessions or weddings that year. So I'd like to become a little more established before I take that time off. I have some goals that I'd like to reach this year and hopefully I'll be able to reach them. I'm not going to estimate when we'll have our next one, because when we're ready, we'll know it. So for the time being, I'm just going to be happy with the amazing daughter and husband that I have and treasure them while it's just the three of us!
Anyways, I'll be back later in the week with some updated pics of the house!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Her haircut
I have some more photos to share, but thought that I'd finally take some photos of Lilly with her new haircut! I might actually keep it short for awhile since it's so much easier to take care of with all of her curls.
It's snowing here today so we'll be staying inside all day. I'd take Lilly out to play in it, but it's really cold and windy so I think we'll stay warm inside instead! The kitchen floor has been removed and we're down to the hardwood. I'm glad that it's in good shape but at the same time I'm upset that it was covered up with so many layers of horrible crap! I'm glad that we decided to pull it up instead of add to the layers. Now we just need to sand it down, stain and poly it and it'll be as good as new......but with a little bit of character added in! We'll also be putting the drywall up and knocking down the wall between the kitchen and living room and turning it into a half wall. I think that the kitchen will consume my thoughts until it's done. So I'll be back with more pictures of the house, Lilly and Christmas!
It's snowing here today so we'll be staying inside all day. I'd take Lilly out to play in it, but it's really cold and windy so I think we'll stay warm inside instead! The kitchen floor has been removed and we're down to the hardwood. I'm glad that it's in good shape but at the same time I'm upset that it was covered up with so many layers of horrible crap! I'm glad that we decided to pull it up instead of add to the layers. Now we just need to sand it down, stain and poly it and it'll be as good as new......but with a little bit of character added in! We'll also be putting the drywall up and knocking down the wall between the kitchen and living room and turning it into a half wall. I think that the kitchen will consume my thoughts until it's done. So I'll be back with more pictures of the house, Lilly and Christmas!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Her first haircut....
I still need to take some photos of her after, but since the light wasn't that great outside today we'll wait a little bit. But here is a photo of her getting her hair cut with her big sad eyes and facial expressions.....
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A new look.....
so I decided with my new found time on my hands earlier this week that I'm ready for a new look business wise. With that came a decision that I needed a logo. I was first thinking about hiring a graphic designer to do the work for me, but I thought that I'd try my hand at it first and get some opinions from some friends on what I created before I went that route. So here is the new look of Carrie Ann Photography.....
I love trees. They mean life to me and I think that they can be reflective of people the way that they change. I'll be working on updating my website and blog with the new look in the coming weeks. I may even get a whole new website sometime next year, but we'll see!
In other news, we're still in the middle of remodeling chaos! Part of the leaky pipe was replaced today only to find out that the other end of the pipe......the vent end that goes up to the roof has a leak. The leak is actually in the seal around the roof so since it was raining really hard today it was coming down the whole length of the pipe and right into my kitchen. The leak must have just happened since the pipe has been exposed a couple of times and it's rained just as hard and never leaked. Thankfully, it can be fixed and will be in the coming weeks. We'll also be replacing all of the plumbing in the bathroom since we have to replace the drywall in the kitchen ceiling anyways. It's best that everything is happening while everything is exposed anyways and in this case I'm really looking at this as a positive thing. We know then that everything has been updated and will be as it should be, with a little character thrown in!
Lillian had her first hair cut today and everything that I thought would happen did. I prepared myself by bringing along some candy, juice and the iPod with a Dora movie on it. Dora helped a little bit, but for the most part it was a cry fest with big crocodile tears running down her face the whole time. She was fine sitting on the booster seat, but as soon as the cape was put on her she freaked out. She kept saying "I stuck, I stuck!" I grabbed a few photos which I'll upload tomorrow.....not sure how good they came out since my glasses were on top of my head and I really couldn't see! She now has a cute little curly bob and we trimmed up her bangs since they were a little uneven. So I'll be back with some new photos!
I love trees. They mean life to me and I think that they can be reflective of people the way that they change. I'll be working on updating my website and blog with the new look in the coming weeks. I may even get a whole new website sometime next year, but we'll see!In other news, we're still in the middle of remodeling chaos! Part of the leaky pipe was replaced today only to find out that the other end of the pipe......the vent end that goes up to the roof has a leak. The leak is actually in the seal around the roof so since it was raining really hard today it was coming down the whole length of the pipe and right into my kitchen. The leak must have just happened since the pipe has been exposed a couple of times and it's rained just as hard and never leaked. Thankfully, it can be fixed and will be in the coming weeks. We'll also be replacing all of the plumbing in the bathroom since we have to replace the drywall in the kitchen ceiling anyways. It's best that everything is happening while everything is exposed anyways and in this case I'm really looking at this as a positive thing. We know then that everything has been updated and will be as it should be, with a little character thrown in!
Lillian had her first hair cut today and everything that I thought would happen did. I prepared myself by bringing along some candy, juice and the iPod with a Dora movie on it. Dora helped a little bit, but for the most part it was a cry fest with big crocodile tears running down her face the whole time. She was fine sitting on the booster seat, but as soon as the cape was put on her she freaked out. She kept saying "I stuck, I stuck!" I grabbed a few photos which I'll upload tomorrow.....not sure how good they came out since my glasses were on top of my head and I really couldn't see! She now has a cute little curly bob and we trimmed up her bangs since they were a little uneven. So I'll be back with some new photos!
Monday, December 08, 2008
This is what happens....
when little girls decide to not take their daily nap!
It was like 6:30 and she was watching Little Monsters (thank goodness for free movies and tv shows on demand!) and running around and loving it. From time to time she likes to sit on the edge of the coffee table and watch tv. So I'm at the computer doing some editing and all the sudden I hear some really loud snoring and there she is.....in her new dress shoes, a pink tutu and no shirt......totally picture worthy!
I'm pretty much done editing photos for 2008 which feels great! I'm working on some business stuff this week, but since there's no rush to get it over with I can take my time. I never imagined that I'd be as busy as I was the second half of the year! It seems like it's been non-stop since the end of August which I'm so thankful for because it makes me value my free time with my family even more.
So with more free time on my hands, I'll be doing some crafting, cleaning, painting and plain old relaxing and playing with Lilly and at the same time taking more photos of her. We both have a little bit of a cold at the moment, but hopefully the snow on the ground will stick around for a couple more days till her cold is gone so I can take her outside!
It was like 6:30 and she was watching Little Monsters (thank goodness for free movies and tv shows on demand!) and running around and loving it. From time to time she likes to sit on the edge of the coffee table and watch tv. So I'm at the computer doing some editing and all the sudden I hear some really loud snoring and there she is.....in her new dress shoes, a pink tutu and no shirt......totally picture worthy!
I'm pretty much done editing photos for 2008 which feels great! I'm working on some business stuff this week, but since there's no rush to get it over with I can take my time. I never imagined that I'd be as busy as I was the second half of the year! It seems like it's been non-stop since the end of August which I'm so thankful for because it makes me value my free time with my family even more.
So with more free time on my hands, I'll be doing some crafting, cleaning, painting and plain old relaxing and playing with Lilly and at the same time taking more photos of her. We both have a little bit of a cold at the moment, but hopefully the snow on the ground will stick around for a couple more days till her cold is gone so I can take her outside!
Saturday, December 06, 2008
An out-take....
I won't share the rest of Lilly's Christmas photos, but I love this out take of her.....it shows her nice and long lashes....
She actually did pretty well while I was taking her photos, before hand is another story! I'm getting ready right now for my last session of the year and then I can just finish up my editing and stuff and get some much needed family time in. I'm hoping to be completely done with all of my editing and marketing for next year by this time next week, that way I can just enjoy the holidays ahead!
I have a wedding at the end of January in Bennington which is my next scheduled so I'm really looking forward to the break which I'll certainly need as the construction (or deconstruction) in the kitchen begins. We've decided to go down to the hardwood floors and sand them down, nail holes and all! It'll be messy kitchen for awhile (and messy house too) as we get things done, but it'll be worth it in the end. My first instinct is to just tear down the other wall in between the kitchen and dining room, but I know that we'd be biting off more than we can chew financially so that would be a stupid move on my part!
Anyways, time to get ready, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and that you're staying warm!
She actually did pretty well while I was taking her photos, before hand is another story! I'm getting ready right now for my last session of the year and then I can just finish up my editing and stuff and get some much needed family time in. I'm hoping to be completely done with all of my editing and marketing for next year by this time next week, that way I can just enjoy the holidays ahead!
I have a wedding at the end of January in Bennington which is my next scheduled so I'm really looking forward to the break which I'll certainly need as the construction (or deconstruction) in the kitchen begins. We've decided to go down to the hardwood floors and sand them down, nail holes and all! It'll be messy kitchen for awhile (and messy house too) as we get things done, but it'll be worth it in the end. My first instinct is to just tear down the other wall in between the kitchen and dining room, but I know that we'd be biting off more than we can chew financially so that would be a stupid move on my part!
Anyways, time to get ready, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and that you're staying warm!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
