first birthday

first birthday's in the korean culture are done big. in the olden days, if a baby made it to their 100th day, there was a big celebration. it meant the baby would survive, so they were introduced to their family and friends at a party. before the holidays, i was hired to shoot this wonderful birthday. they rented a room at boudin bakery (famous for their sourdough and clam chowder in a bread bowl) at fisherman's wharf in san francisco. they started the party dressed in traditional korean hanboks, and while the adults were eating lunch, a fairy showed up to entertain the kids with stories, puppets and face paints. another fun tradition involves laying items on a table to see which ones the baby chooses. long string (noodles) = a long life. money = wealth. rice = she will never go hungry. a microphone meant she would be an entertainer! little s chose money first, then the microphone. smart girl! favors of duk (chewy rice served at special occasions) and fresh baguettes were handed out as we left.

if you're considering having a photographer at your child's birthday party, let me know and i'll show you the rest! it was so fun.

meet the little man

ronin: aka ro-ro, roni, the 'noodler'

{this is for his uncle jonathan}

{my old man face}

{long toes like my dad}

ronin - pronunciation (RO nin)

gaelic for "little seal"

also in Japanese feudal history, a "ronin" was a masterless samurai.

that's right, my little man is a warrior.

we might have had a baby

the countdown didn't even finish, but we had our little miracle. stories of delivery & photos to follow, we go home tomorrow!

ronin august bender

sept 01 2009

8:43 pm

7 lbs, 21 inches long

blue eyes, honey brown hair

we love him. he is perfect. soft. has pretty skin. and lips. jan's long toes. my eyes. we can't wait for you to meet him too.

we might have had a baby

the countdown didn't even finish, but we had our little miracle.  stories of delivery & photos to follow, we go home tomorrow!

ronin august bender

sept 01 2009

8:43 pm

7 lbs, 21 inches long

blue eyes, honey blond hair

we love him.  he is perfect.  soft.  has pretty skin.  and lips.  jan's long toes.  my eyes.  we can't wait for you to meet him too. 

la shower pics

rach posted some pics from my la shower here, held at her lovely little blue house. i am making some weird faces and apparantly, my showers was hilarious. we made our own sushi, had chinese chicken salad, jap che, dim sum, orange and blueberry soda and harold (aunty carole) picked up some amazing dots cupcakes. the perfect amount of frosting, and unique flavors. my people go top notch when it comes to food and for this, i love them.

baby room (closet)

people that know me know i love home decor, and have been asking me all about the babies room. well, we currently live in a one bedroom sooo, the baby is going in a walk in closet surrounded by our clothes for his first few months. things will be more normal once we move to a 2 bedroom. people that know me also know i research like crazy to find the best deal, so i'll include those as well as much as i can.

for now, this is what we do have:

• portable hotel crib from hilton (free - thanks noz!), white bedding, infant stim mobile
• porthole mirror from my favorite antique shop in indianapolis (similar to this)
• an ikea poang chair (after tons of research, this was the best mix of affordability, comfort and modern style) with this pillow
• netto cub crib still boxed from overstock for $500 less than retail & $2.50 shipping(sold out)
• 2 square green and white storage containers that fold flat for his books and toys (gc's + discount)
• basket w/liner for diapers (i got a navy and white stripped liner, again 40% off + gc)
• wood changing table top made by our friend
• oeuf bouncer ($20 at consignment shop)
• diaper dude herringbone bag ($25 clearance at marshalls)
• vintage abc calligraphy print in an orange garage sale frame (ripped out of a goodwill book, $1 frame)

i know talented people

i know people with skills, and they share those with me in the form of gifts. i thought it only proper that i recognize them and give them mad props.

first my friend mandy, who made me this car seat cover to help keep mango in the dark to sleep longer or stay out of the cold when la hits the 50's. (or when we visit utah and indiana) note the brown wooden button that disguises the easy velcro underneath. i love this! she is so talented. then my sister-in-law katie who spent months hand sewing this rad bear with a shark tale. he may look angry, but it's only a trick.
note all his different moves already. i'll have him changing mango's diapers in no time.
and finally my sister-in-law holly who blew me away with all this craftiness. some people put a strip of fabric down the center of cloth diapers, holly took it up a notch and quilted mine. and then hand embroidered a B on each one. for Bender. so nobody steals his spit up. don't worry, i'll have my eye on you if you are considering this.
and then, as if that wasn't enough, put together this bomb quilt. i couldn't have asked for a better pattern or colors. i love, love this and sort of want to keep it for myself but then i would be a bad mother. check out the pattern on the right, like a sun's rays blasting out of the center of the quilt.
anyways, i have had these for some time and kept meaning to post pictures because otherwise, it's just me at home admiring them on a daily basis. they are reminders of people's love towards mango and our little family, and i love that!

baby p

miss p just came home from the hospital a few days before this, and is so perfect. i think the blog opens with photos of her older brother. i love watching families grow, especially good friends. i think my baby has a crush on her already. don't you just love her sleeping smile?

2 days old

i've known alexia since kindergarten, and here she is, starting her own little family. one of the first of us glenwood friends. he came out just perfect.

ways to save for small people

as we're trying to get ready for mango with a tight budget, i spend a lot of time researching to find the best items in my price range. with empasis towards style, good reviews and functionality. Two sites that i check for bargains that are typically 60-70+% off retail are baby steals & mama bargains.

we were able to receive a great full size crib (we have a compact one in our apt right now) as a gift, purchased at overstock for 75% off retail, no tax and only $3 for shipping. it's sold out, but it might come back.

it's also good to keep an eye out for sample sales like this one. even though we didn't have a baby yet, i had a friend pick me up pottery barn kids clothes at an average of $3/piece. that stocked us up on clothes, blankets, bath towels, hats and shoes. i've found great new or barely worn clothes at my local goodwill lately for an average of $1.50/piece as well. it's hit and miss, so you have to be willing to hunt or walk away with nothing.

baby stuff can be pricey so if you have the time, do your research and you can make it all fit within a budget. invest in things you want long term, and be super frugal with things they will grow out of quickly.

it finally looks like a baby!

We got our second ultrasound yesterday and watched the baby kick and wiggle around (do you see it doing leg lifts?). it's feeling a lot more real now even though i barely look pregnant. my brother commented on the little 'thing' near it's legs, but the lady told us that was the placenta, not a man part. we'll find out for sure in 4 1/2 more weeks!! it was nice for j to be a part of this one. we're heading to san diego for the day...

DIY projects

i browse kids magazines looking for good photo ideas for my shoots. parents magazine online had this cute posting of DIY costumes. some are a little cheesy, but i thought these ones were really cute. green sponges to make a dinasour & gloves to make antlers. genious. my next photo project is going to involve bright fabric and kids in costume.

a visit to the in-laws

i can't help it. i adore my niece and nephew. when we visit j's sister, i always find time to take photos of these guys. this time i had a white backdrop set up for some product shots for a friend of ours that makes these beautiful cuttingboards. we put the kids on there for a few minutes before we all froze out and grabbed some images. azalea got tired at the end and just laid down.

a visit to the o'neills

after we moved, we spent 2 days w/j's sister. somehow i always find time to take photos of these guys. this time i had a white backdrop set up for some product shots for a friend of ours that makes these beautiful cuttingboards. we put the kids on there for a few minutes before we all froze out and grabbed some images. azalea got tired at the end and just laid down.

off to pack

we're heading back to indiana tonight on a red eye to pack up our lives and have it shipped out to us in cali. i will be immersed in boxes and won't have time to blog, so i'm leaving you with some announcements i did the other week for a friend of mine. we told his little story on the back. to our friends/family in indiana - we'll see you soon! i'm bringing my new diana camera so expect some good images next week.

sock animals

I made some sock animals for the twins from the book Sock and Glove. A sheep for Azalea & a zebra for Clive. They were supposed to be done before they came home...then when they came home..and then I finally just finished them up when we went to meet them! My favorite part about the zebra is that because of the way I used the sock, he's always smiling. Well, that and the rad mohwak. I think they like them! thanks H for the photos.

love my vacation so far

we just did a mini shoot yesterday of the twins, clive & azalea. i have the cutest relatives!! more to come as well as a few of little syd & kate who we saw yesterday in indy.

1st bday

(my photo made it above their mantle!)

little g turned 1, wearing a super cute custom dress her mom had made from an etsy seller. it was a cupcake theme with lots of food, balloons and gifts. it was fun to see them again and meet their family & friends. danielle (matt's sister) & i grabbed grace when the party was ending before her balloons took off with an older kid, to shoot the last few photos. notice the one pink one that got tangled under her arm..oops..