There is a professional children's photographer around the corner from our house. She is so flippin' expensive that, as much as we would love to, we have never used her to photograph our family. However, Jill, the photographer is exceptional at marketing and on her 5th anniversary she had quinea pigs at her shop (keep in mind that her studio is called "Jookie" after her neice's guinea pig of that name). The kids could hold them and then color in little pictures of Jookie. After a cookie they could then go in the studio and Jill would snap a few pictures and email them in high res to the parents FOR FREE. She's a genius. Anyway, these are the shots. I have only one or two pics of Rudy from his 4 years of life smiling this big. Seriously. Did I say brilliant? yup.

office! oops, I forgot

before: the mess that was the studio I never worked in and often wept over

every paper, bit, bob, and stitch removed from the studio to our dining room!

hanging shelves with Deniz (the professional organizer who helped me). A friend won a makeover of a room and she gave it to me! Tells you what she thinks of my organizational powers! Deniz went to Ikea for me and she took all the things that were to be donated or recycled and dealt with them. Amazing!

et voila! Each box is labelled and has a specific function, like sewing, projects, memory box, office supplies, Rudy, Margot. There is nothing on the surface space which has meant that I have actually been drawing again. Life changing is all I can say. Now on to the bedrooms!

I gave the desk on the right to Rudy and he is very proud of his new "office".

knock knock

Margot's favorite joke to tell:

Margot: "Knock knock who's there sooshie nooshie"

You: Sooshie nooshie who?"

Margot: "Sooshie nooshie Margot ______ (whatever strikes her fancy, today it was 'wipes')"

Here she is biking home after a block party. She has a butterfly painted on her face (I was the designated face-painter), watermelon all over her dress, and my keys in her mouth. Goofy as can be and dead tired!

before and after

1 - garden / yard / patio

The first three shots were taken in March when we were desperate to get outside and clean up after a long long long winter! You can see why we never wanted to spend any time out here over the past three years! I remember when Rudy was learning to walk he would get so discouraged falling again and again on those awful flag stones with two inches of dirt and weeds between them. Poor guy.

The next 3 shots were taken last week after grass and patio were installed.

Flowers are blooming, the tree has been moved outside and we are so so happy to have an outdoor space that we can enjoy. I have plans for a lot more plants and possibly moving our fig tree to the patio too.

We eat breakfast sitting on the patio and John and I gulp down hot coffee enjoying the birds singing and the kids running through the grass; we get as much time in the sand box before the sun gets too high in the sky and we are run indoors by the heat (really? Yes); we run through sprinklers in the afternoon; share snacks on the grass with out next door neighbors, and by 6pm we put out a blanket and eat supper with plates on our laps and the sun glancing down between the garages.

(Tomorrow I'll post a before and after of my studio / office).