This guys favorite things.  He was happiest walking around on his own.  Especially happy when he got to pet a dog.  And just about everything we had him lean against, sit on, or stand near had to be hit several times.

Enjoy some of this little man’s love for life

When I saw these guys from across the Public Garden, I knew it was Em and Tim.  Pink, that is their hallmark color.  Emily had chosen pink for her wedding and I just love the images that came from that.  Check out their album here.

How could I ever imagine any other color for their precious little girl?  We headed straight for the angel to photograph this little angel.

Kids have all the energy.  Some of this spit-fire redhead’s excitement rubbed off on me.  I came back to the hotel very happy, if not a little exhausted.  I only hope some of his energy rubs off on his parents.

It is so exciting to see my past wedding clients… with their kids.  This is the first of 3 families I was able to reconnect with while in Boston.

We had a blast in Boston. I really miss being in such a cool city. Although we are becoming aware of the cool things about Denver. It just seems like all those huge trees and the farms so close to the city are things only the East has.

Oh, and the best pizza on the planet is in the North End; Pizza Regina. A great description of that spot here. It was nice to see the familiar waitresses, made us feel like we never left.  Not that they recognized us… even if they did, they’d never admit it.

We also visited all our old haunts in Jamaica Plain and saw some of our great friends there. We even visited our friend’s community garden patch and picked 4lbs. of strawberries out of a 2×3′ patch. Amazing!

India even went on a camp-out with her friend’s grandparents.  Ok, it was in an RV.  But still, who would have guessed she could have squeezed in a camp-out on our Boston trip?  Good times, great memories.  Makes me want to return home.

Here’s one image from our stay in Boston. Stay tuned for more…

Public Garden

Recently India found a 4-leaf clover. I thought now might be a good time to post the image since Friday the 13th is coming up. If you feel you might need a bit of extra luck, just come by and maybe some of the clover’s luck will rub off on you.

Bed rest is one thing, but to have to stay in the hospital until your baby is born? That is rough. The kids and I have been trying to keep this mom company. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia almost two weeks ago, just before the last week of school. She is India’s Kindergarten teacher. Not an ideal situation, but thankfully both mom and baby are healthy.
We had all the kids sign this book that we brought with us on one of our hospital visits. Another mom came up with the idea and helped collect quotes from each of the kids. What a wonderful way to remember all the kindergarten friends. With some extra money from the other parents we were able to raise enough money to purchase an album for each kid in the class.

Another ploy to cheer up mom-to-be was a little photo shoot outside of the hospital… if only in the hospital garden.

and in a wheelchair…

Thankfully she could get out of the chair, stand, sit cross-legged. Just no jumping or running.

Dad is already reading and cuddling with baby.

When I went to photograph this Arapahoe Acres home I was told that they had once received a call from the city asking when they had installed a pool. The homeowner was a bit confused. The person from the city said, “It says here you have a pool house.” The homeowner quickly replied that the home was named after the first homeowners, the Pools, and that they do not have a pool or a pool house.
This home does not need a pool. It is so beautifully complete without one. The homeowner, Dave Steers, has a restoration/renovation business and has done his share of work throughout the neighborhood.

The woodwork in this home is so beautiful. The paneling is to die for. See the hinge to the left of the light? Hidden closet there. If only homes were still made with aesthetics in mind!

The front room with a view into the family and dining rooms as well as the shaded patio.

The kitchen was restored bringing the original sliding cupboard doors and lower mahogany cupboards back. I love that the original owner requested a glass back splash so she could keep an eye on the kids as they played in the yard. Not only practical but unique and forward thinking.

Of everything in this home, I want this. A tub room looking out to a beautiful garden. The first time I saw this I was stunned by its tranquil beauty.

With two sinks and jetted tub this bathroom addition is one that keeps with the original scale of the home but brings in modern conveniences and some modern styling.

Ahhh, we are heading back to Boston in June. I can’t wait. We will visit friends, hit Pizza Regina, and introduce Ezra to Boston and Jamaica Plain.
I will also be photographing. I am almost booked up but have 2 openings; one on Thursday the 12th in the evening and the second on Saturday the 14th in the morning, both in the Public Garden or Beacon Hill. Let me know if you would like to book me.


These were both taken for Red Wagon at the Public Garden. Red Wagon is still the coolest children’s boutique I know.

I love these shots. These were taken at the Amory St. park in Brookline for my client’s graduation. Such a beautiful place. If you ever get a chance, you need to visit this park. It has a wooden path which winds around the pond. There are also several paths leading to hidden beauties in the garden. There is even an old moss covered gazebo in one of the corners. An ideal spot. I am feeling home sick!

This boy loves being the Ez Monster. Not sure where that came from, only that he would growl when a babe. It has stuck and he is proud of his monster status.

The other day I decided to try to style his crazy, unkempt mop. I put in some gel and tried to work with his cow-lick by pulling his bangs away from his forehead. Well this is what I came up with, halfway through. This halfway-hair-do cracked him up so much, I couldn’t flatten it out. So we kept it and headed to the library story hour with Ed Grimly hair. Of course, it was a big hit with all the moms.

My baby no longer. I guess when her brother was born, the change was complete.  Since we left Boston, I feel like things have been moving in fast forward. My little girl is 6 and almost done with Kindergarten! Unbelievable.

A portrait of India today:

*A sweeter girl there never was. She is very affectionate.  I often see her holding her friends’ hands, giving hugs to her pregnant teacher, and generally giving and receiving affection.

*I often hear the rustling of paper from her room. She can often be found creating a sign, making a birdhouse, or drawing a picture or note for a friend. All this made on her desk (now enlarged to table) using her stash of paper, pens, tape, scissors and glue sticks.

*She loves to stay up late, but will quickly shut down once she feels tired. “I’m too tired to put on my pjs!” In the morning is a similar sentiment about getting dressed… too tired to get dressed. I think not having to wake up at 7am will be one of the only things she will like about not being in school.

There is much more, but I tend to remember these things only when I hear the funny phrase or see my little girl growing. I’ll have to make an effort to write down some more characteristics and continue this in another post…

Saturday was a great day. We enjoyed a morning of relaxation and sun at our street’s garage sale. I got a bit too much sun and Zach called me Amazon brown last night. Not quite sure what that means.
Around 4pm, I made my way to the school’s grounds and photographed 4 families in quick succession. I was a bit disappointed at the turn-out, but I was also glad to be done by 5:30 and hit the after-garage-sale bbq at our neighbor’s house. All in all, a fun day. I got to sit in the warm sun, photograph some families and even go to a party. What more could I ask for?
Here are a few images from each of the families I photographed. We raised $120 for the garden at Charles Hay. Thanks for your support!

I love the color coordination here. What a fun family.

Ahh, William has reached the days when getting a picture taken is no longer fun. We still got him to smile. Maybe he had a little fun…

I love this building’s painted cinder block. What a cool color and the texture is awesome. Who knew this was at the school. Lucky I saw it the day before at pick-up.

I love that I got to photograph this mom with her boys. A late mother’s day present. I am so glad they brought along their light swords, spiderman shirt, and cape.

I am hosting a family portrait party at Barde Park, near Charles Hay Elementary school just north of Downing and Eastman in Englewood, CO. The proceeds from this day will go to the school’s greening effort. Most importantly, and where my interest lies, is with the school garden. This garden won’t be at the school for another year of so, but I still would like to support this program and help get it going any way I can. This fund raiser I hope will raise the funds needed to keep my dream of kids learning nutrition, sustainability, etc. alive.

Please visit this page to view available times: “Family Portrait Party.”
To book a time you may call, email, or even leave a comment here and I will update the schedule. Since I am manually updating this schedule, your name may not appear on the list for a few hours. This is a first come first served event, so act now!

More from the Movement Dance Co. I love how the entire show moved through so many emotions. From the drudgery of the “Daily Grind” piece to the primal joy of another back down to the depths of loosing a loved one.

Ok, after all my talk about natural playscapes, we got a climbing gym.  Although I must say that this piece of play equipment has been in the Arapahoe Acres neighborhood since the 60’s so it seems only proper to carry on the tradition.

So far India loves it.  She is able to jump and swing from several bars, like a little gymnast.  She calls it the climbing sculpture.  Zach calls it the rocket ship and is trying to get Ezra to call it that too.   We’ll see which sticks for him.

I’m just glad there is an official kid-thing in the yard that is more like a sculpture, less like a log cabin (as our neighbor, Ron, called the more standard options).  I am so grateful to our neighbors, Ron and Suzanne, for passing this along to us.  This is really how things ought to be acquired, second hand.

Sadly, the branch house was taken down… but it hasn’t been missed.  Once we hear about it again from the kids, we’ll build it up in another spot.  That apple tree wants to live and can’t with all those branches covering it.  Although the little house was much prettier then that crooked tree.

Thursday I photographed The Movement Dance Co.’s rehearsal.  Then Saturday India and I went to see the performance. This dance company is pretty unique, at least to me. They are an inter-faith group that strives to, among other things, invoke thoughtful inspiration in their audience. This last performance had a lot to do with woman and the need for self worth. Very cool.

These woman have a passion for dance, it is obvious through their art. India and I both wished we could get up and dance with them!

This is India and I on our way to the performance. To add to the excitement of the night, India and I got dressed up and even put on a bit of makeup. It was girls’ night out after all.

This week has been filled with all sorts of outdoor activities, just what would be expected for Earth Day week. Yesterday we visited the Botanic Garden and saw all the new growth, daffodils, tulips and even a gardener tagging the plants in the kitchen garden. I had a little chat with him and he gave me some good ideas of what to plant in my garden. He said to take green onions, just the root part, and plant them in the soil. Within a week we should have new growth. Sounds like this would be worth trying.
Monday afternoon a friend came to play. While the kids played outside I began pruning our crab-apple tree. While I was high in the branches the girls began to sort the fallen limbs into usable, blossom, and fix-it piles. Each pile getting ready for the fort they wanted to build. Here is what they came up with… with only a little help from me:

If you look carefully you can see our bent apple tree under the tepee, right between the girls. This is what is holding up the branches.

Ezra got into the action too. All the kids tried and tried to knock it down. The wind was blowing strongly too. I even tried to blow it down, as the big bad wolf of course. It isn’t going anywhere.

My first photography workshop is coming up. Imagine it: 2 whole hours working side-by-side a real photographer! It’s amazing!!!! hehe The class only has 8 seats (5 of which are already taken) so let me know quickly if you would like to join us.
This is a workshop for the beginner. We will touch on lots of things… if they will all fit in the 2 hours… we may have to go over a bit. Some of the main points are:
1. Turn off your flash… how to use your camera and the super cheap light from the sun.
2. Get them to laugh, or at least look natural.
3. Composition. How to make your images really sing.
4. Display. Learn to hang and preserve your prints.

I am excited to help a few people out there start taking more beautiful photographs and think outside the box. Join the fun. Simply email me or comment here to get involved.

Date: Saturday May 3rd
Time: 4-6pm
Place: My house.
Cost: $50
If you can’t make this workshop, there may be more in the future so let me know you’re interested!

This is the first year in my life that I feel like our garden is ours. Well, I guess the year in Baltimore I tried to garden is the summer I broke my foot. No gardening after that. Our tomato plants produced 2 tomatoes, but the basil grew like a weed. I think Baltimore is an easier place to garden, though. So much rain, and the trees are HUGE! Here there aren’t as many huge trees. Our neighbor says trees grow very slowly here because of the altitude. Another neighbor told us that most the trees in the city died from some bug or fungus about 15 years ago. And have you heard that all the pines in the mountains of CO are going to die-off within the next 10 years? Crazy. I guess it is in part because fires are not allowed to burn, so an insect is going unchecked. This is all second hand knowledge. I’m sure someone else would be a more reliable source of this kind of information.
In any case, I would like to share with you a few ideas that I have found to make our yard more interesting for the kids… without having a giant, ugly play structure. I found a few awesome sites dedicated to natural playground design. Most the companies do school design. I found one that shows a residence. Oh, you have to check it out… it is so cool.
We aren’t doing anything quite so fancy, but I would like to embed a slide into our little hill out back. In the mean time, as I sell the idea to Zach, I have spent a small amount of dough on other things… the most expensive being the copper chimes. Don’t get me started on that. The kids better play with them! So far, the most popular thing in the yard has been the dirt. But the dirt is our soon to be garden bed. We have already planted the broccoli and cauliflower seedlings, spinach, swiss chard and some mesculin salad seedlings. Oh and seeds for the salad along with chamomile seeds.
Now for some photos:

These are the infamous wind chimes. Although they only make sound when the kids strike them. I think they look pretty great in the landscape. Using vinegar, I was able to patina them a bit. Not yet green, but at least not shiny copper.

These logs will become a balance beam. These thinner ones will be free for the kids to move where they want.

These will eventually have peas growing over them, creating an edible tunnel. We just have to keep Ezra from pulling them out of the ground.

Finally.
We had a blast dying eggs, folding chicks and bunnies (shhh, we did those in Feb), and shooting off the rocket Easter morn’.

Need I say more?

I love this last one. Thanks for being so cute! There’s hardly anything better than a new baby.

Luckily I can still bind without it. But my gosh! I think I just had the thing a few weeks ago… or was that in Baltimore? Too many moves. No more!

You all must know by now that I am a slow blogger. Even so I wanted to share a few images from our first day of spring. While picking up I from school, we saw a sign that told about a 1st Day of Spring tradition in Poland. Each year they build a huge doll out of hay and dress her up and toss her into the river on the 1st day of spring. We decided that would be a fun thing to do. Here is our version of this Poland tradition:

This is our doll. Made from the tall grass I cut down while the kids played in the yard. India picked a few strands and a thick piece from one of the fronds. I tied it all together for her. She wanted to dress the doll, but I was unwilling to throw away anything that would not a natural material. I guess we could have dressed her in old leaves… next year.

We drove to one of the kids’ favorite parks. The ‘river’ was pretty stagnant, I bet our doll is still there today, waiting for the rain to wash it away. I guess that’s appropriate since spring always seems to have a slow start.

Since the schools are planting right now, I thought we should get our seeds underway. As it stands, we are going to have a ton of thyme and kale. Anyone need some for their garden? We are happy to share.

This container is what the apples from Costco come in. I always think “what a waste of material.” So have never thrown them out. Now I’ve got a use for them. All I had to do was punch a few holes in the bottom with my awl and tape the edges. Not happy about that, as I can’t reuse that stuff. I Jimmy-rigged this fluorescent lamp ($17 at the hardware store) to our bookshelf without drilling anything into it. I think it will work nicely and can be moved up while the plants grow taller. The cover is already off the Kale… it is much taller than the thyme (pictured here)… and has to be watered every day. I want to get some tomatoes and peppers started also but will need a heat pad for that. I keep meaning to get to the thrift store for an electric blanket to use instead of the $30 heat pad. I love that idea.

I love this little box. It can be anything! This time ’round we made it into an art box. So much fun. I hope she likes it.

I typed instructions for some of the items in the box. The little black books that needs to be colored with light crayons, the dolls who need to be dressed, and the stack of papers to dress them with. There is also a pad of paper to make small masterpieces with.

This house we painted and varnished. It looked great. The dolls we lots of fun too. The parents are little spoons while the kids are the tiny clothes pins.

I think there are a few boy parties coming up. What should we make for them?? We’ll see.

Ok, I’m way behind. Maybe next week I’ll show our Easter eggs.

I think she wore this same shirt last year. I think she’ll probably wear it again next year. We couldn’t find the felt shamrock… we’ll have to make another. It is super cute.