Tidbits

Raspberry lemonde bars. 

Obviously the solution to defrosted raspberries sitting in your fridge.

 

Easter photo session outtakes. Because every girl needs to have a butterfly dress like that. 

Super seriously still love it. 

 

As messy, loud, and sometimes obnoxious as this guy is...I'm really gonna miss him.

And those other two buggers.

 

Practicing still life and styling with my fantastic sister.

Much fun!

 

Playing with negative space in composition.

I really love these tete-a-tete narcissi. 

Working on my edge on the blanket. Slowly.

Pondering the packing conundrums.

Hoping no one wakes up my baby while she sleeps on the balcony.

Love that (Finnish) custom of having babies sleep outside.

I want to too!

Also, I should not consume more than two cups of coffee per day for numerous reasons (my coffee maker says I've had 3/4 liter of it so far...) but how I really would love another cuppa! 

One week till Japan!!

Winter prettiness

I finally had time to get out and take photos. We've had gorgeous weather all week, very cold (-15-20c) and sunny. This weekend, a little warmer and cloudy, but I'm sure we will have white crisp sunny weather again soon.

You can faintly see in this picture the "glitter" snow gently falling in the sun... I LOVE when this happens! 

Sun as a bug in a rug. ♥

 

It was such a mild fall and early winter that the pussy willows started to "bloom". Now they're snow covered. 

 

I was really enjoying the low sun and trying to capture the flare in the lens. 

 

Winter ♥

I love when it's sunny and cold and snowy...

but I do miss summer ;)

Hope you're staying warm where ever you are!

2014...already??

So here we are in 2014, I can't believe it!

I had such an eventful 2013 that it went by so quickly, too quickly! I spent the first half of the year with huuuuge anticipation for June and it seemed like time was craaaaaawling... then BAM! January 1st, 2014!

Obviously, as anyone who has ever had a baby knows, time FLIES when you have a little one... We were no exception to this phenomenon. I'm hoping that I will learn to keep up with it or at least get used to it... I'm still just blown away some days that I have a daughter and she's already ...months old. Can't imagine when it becomes ...years old!! 

So yes, I am hoping for a lot of things in 2014, but mainly just the chance to enjoy it fully. As in, time not whizzing by me!

I have lots of photos backlogged for the blog... Nothing new there these days so I'm just going to once again skip them and share some more recent ones. :)

Our beautiful tree.

Playing with f-stops, tripods, and Christmas lights...

 

My gorgeous bowl of white hyacinths that started blooming perfectly just before Christmas.

And bokeh!

 

Getting back into lightroom and editing photos into B&W.

Just love the mood.

 

My lavender/blue hyacinths that bloomed right before New Year's.

 

Enjoying what my camera can do in literally no light.

 

And I had so much fun with the fireworks display on New Year's Eve!!

 

 

(These are my favorite because it's like gold glitter in the sky!.....it has my name all over it! Lol!)

So that's pretty much it!

Thanks 2013 for an amazing year!

Where have I been?

Funny how such a small person can take so much of your time... 

Sometimes it's frustrating to never have time for anything or anyone else... 

But I know this time is fleeting....

So I try to embrace the lazy days and cherish every little milestone, giggle, and smile.

She's the most beautiful, wonderful, calm baby I've ever met. And she's mine!! *

Summer passed us by so incredibly fast... No idea where it went!

So I'm trying to milk fall for all it's worth and so far have been rather successful. :)

Some faithful blog fans have asked when I'm going to continue blogging (so here's for ya'll!).

I'll confess, I did consider just letting the blog slide and just moving on.

And I'll admit I did feel a little more than overwhelmed to pick up from where I left off and bring the blog up to date with everything that has happened (and all the new pictures)... but honestly, it's just so much work and time that I don't have to do so.

Therefore, I'm just gonna say HI, HERE I AM!! 

And try to get here a little more often and share my latest pictures and going ons. :)

She's getting much bigger and is becoming less dependent on me (ok, so I get 10 minutes to myself every so often instead of 2 minutes ;) lol) so maybe I have a chance to get back into the blogging groove.

I really do enjoy having a little journal to look back on!

So thanks if you're still here following! 

And hope you had a great summer and equally wonderful fall. :)

 See ya soon!

*I know all mothers feel this way and I'm totally biased. :D

On my table in June...

I have been lucky to get such pretty flowers this June. Having a baby AND a birthday in the same month, wonderful. :)

Not to mention the flowers from our garden. Summer really is the best season here! Beauty inside and out!

Pansies my parents brought me in the hospital. I loved looking at them almost as much as I did my little newborn. :)

Peachy roses and carnations at home.

Pansies on my birthday cake. (made by my mama and hubby)

Tangerine orchid on my nightstand from my husband ♥

Peonies!

Pink carnations.

Those orange carnations lasted almost THREE weeks! 

The pink ones are still going strong.

The nasturtium and tomato have exponentially grown. Every time I look out there they're taller! 

I had to take a picture the other day of our neighbor's "suicide kitty". This cat gives me a heart attack almost dail.

More birthday and baby flowers :)

I started this post July 4th... And just now am posting it!! 

...must try to be a better blogger...