Show & Tell: For The Photographer

*Update*
This post is way late considering Christmas was almost 2 months ago, but I wanted to share with you a few camera related gifts that I received. I'm so loving all of them!

1. Jo Totes rose camera bag
I had the hardest time deciding on a color, but most importantly, I just REALLY needed a camera bag. Showing up to a photo shoot without a proper camera bag for all your lens=embarrassing and totally not cool. Anyway, I ended up choosing the mustard colored bag and am so glad I did. It's a great semi-neutral color that I really can't see myself getting sick of anytime soon, which is something I was worried about with the other colors on my list.

 I totally dig the inside with the black and white houndstooth.

2. Handmade Camera Strap 

I really wanted a pretty camera strap to match my bag and my sister ended up getting me this one from here. I love the bright colors and pattern.

3. Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s

I had been pining after these cameras for almost a year, but now I finally have my own. I had it saved on amazon.com just waiting for it to go on sale. Right before Christmas the price dropped from $95.99 down to $87 (I think it was even more a while ago), so I called my mom and she ordered it for me! Yay! Only now I see that the price has dropped significantly since then down to $65.95! I wonder if they are coming out with a new model or something. Now the 25 is $83.95 down from $125.99! Ugh...why couldn't it have been that cheap when I got mine!! Sigh. Maybe that just means I'll have to get that one too! He he! I really adore the one I got though. I think it will be tons of fun to add these little polaroids to my Project Life!

*Here is what the photos look like:

It's actually a little clearer in person. This was taken inside, so it's a little dark too. I haven't taken any photos with it outside yet, but I'm sure those turn out much clearer. I'm looking forward to taking vacation photos with it.



So there you have it! It was a very camera heavy Christmas this year. Just what I wanted!

I'm kind of interested in those magnetic lens for the iPhone. Has anyone tried them or have some? I would love to know if they're worth getting.

Show & Tell: More Memory Keeping

You guys know how into preserving memories I am, well I'm back with yet another way to do it thanks to one of my favorite online shops, Paper Coterie.  Recently they introduced their new Memory Keeper boxes and I couldn't love them more!!  They have designs for all occasions, but I decided on boxes for the kids first year of life. 

Baby lady Harper's box.  I used newborn pictures on both of them and love how adorable they are!!

 And little man Hudson's.  Love the pennant design!  So precious!

 And did I mention that they're huge?!  Here is Hudson demonstrating by repeating "BIG" over and over!

They are really big (much bigger than I thought they'd be) and hold a ton of stuff.  I knew they'd be perfect for hospital mementos, ultrasound pics and anything else we collect during the first year.

And right now, Paper Coterie has a "Begin Anywhere Month" promotion going on, so go over and check them out!  Their products couldn't be cuter!!  Love them!

*I was not paid or perked for this post.  I just REALLY love their products!*

Show and Tell: Ways to Document Our Lives

I've always been very into photography and finding new ways of documenting my life.  I've had my own camera for as long as I can remember and was always the one running around taking pictures of everything from my favorite Cabbage Patch to my friends and family.  Since becoming a mom, I have an even bigger desire to record it all and I as a mentioned before I discovered Project Life at the beginning of the year (and loving it) and now I found something else I love.  It's a company called Paper Coterie.  I'm sure you've seen the name bouncing around in blogland.  Well, about a month ago they were offering a 50% discount and free shipping on any order, so I went to the website to check it out.  I came across the most adorable growth charts for kids.  We'd been looking for one for Hudson for a while, and now I found one that I really liked and at 50% off  and free shipping, we couldn't pass it up.

I love how it has his name and his picture on it.  I chose a newborn picture to represent the beginning of his life.  It's made of a fabric paper that is designed to stick and restick over and over again, which is great because we don't plan on being in this house much longer!  I love that we'll be able to keep it forever!

But that's not it...because just a couple weeks ago they had a very special promotion celebrating their open house, so of course I had to order some of the other items that I had been drooling over. 

The first thing I wanted to order was an adorable Hopes and Dreams photo book for Hudson.  It has the sweetest graphics and best quotes about adventures.  It comes in two sizes, but I am already making so many books for our kiddos that I figured I would just order the 5x7.  I couldn't be happier with it!

All of the pictures in the book are just of Hudson.  He already likes looking at it!  I had a feeling he would!

I also ordered myself a new journal.  I used to journal everyday, but once I got married and had a baby, journaling just sort of got pushed to the back burner.  Well, I'm feeling the need to get back into it and found a very pretty little journal and even added my picture and title to the book.  I can't wait to start writing in it tonight!

This is by no means an advertisement for Paper Coterie.  In fact they have no idea I'm writing this.  I just have a passion for capturing life's moments and being able to record them, so I thought I would share my new finds for documenting life with all my readers. 

Maybe some of you are just like me!  And if you are, I would love to here about different ways you record your life's moments!  I'm always in the market for new ideas!

Show & Tell: Birthday Gift

For my birthday this year my sweet hubby and little man got my something I've been wanting for months now...Project Life!  It's a great way of scrapbooking without all the embellishments.  I have tons of scrapbooks from all throughout high school and all throughout college, plus a few extras and cherish all of them, but I eventually got burned out and switched to regular photo albums (which there is nothing wrong with)  But, after having a baby I decided that I wanted make yearly scrapbooks for all of our kids.  I'm a little behind and still working on Hudson's first year...it's hard when you have small kids that don't give you much time to yourself throughout the day!! 

Anyway, I've really missed making scrapbooks for myself and being able to include keepsakes along with pictures and journaling, but didn't want to do the tradition scrapbooks anymore.  Not only because it's expensive, but it's also waaaaay too time consuming to take on with little ones running around.  That's when I came across Project Life.  So easy and so perfect for what I wanted to accomplish!  I've already gotten started and am totally in love!   Thanks to my boys for the perfect birthday gift!!

And if you've never heard of Project Life and are into scrapbooking, you should definitely check it out!  I'll be sure to share pics of my progress with you as I get more added to the book!

Show & Tell: Trunk Love

I've been wanting this trunk for over a year and now I finally have it!  It was an early birthday gift from my parents.  I wanted it last year for my birthday, but refused to let my mom buy unless it was on sale.  I mentioned it 2 months before my birthday, thinking it would go on sale beforehand, but it never did.  It actually didn't go on sale one time until the end of the summer, so needless to say, I didn't get it.  About 3 weeks ago, to my surprise, I spotted it on sale in the Target ad for $20 off, and my birthday is just around the corner (in March)!!  Oh happy day!  Not only do I need the storage, but I love the way it looks.  Here is my beautiful new birthday trunk in action!!

See that gorgeous bedding in the background?  We bought it a couple months ago.  I was inspired by my favorite home improvement blog, Young House Love.  More on that later!

Show & Tell: Christmas Came Early

Well not exactly, but it feels like it!  My very sweet mother-in-law bought me my very first sewing machine last week!  I'm so excited to relearn how to sew again...I used to know, but it's been years.  I haven't had much time to play with it yet, but plan to start very soon.  Thanks so much Lynn!!

And not only did I get a sewing machine, but I also got a Silhouette!  My mom bought it for me so that I can start focusing more on starting my business.  Isn't that so exciting?!  I've only used it a couple of times, but already love it!!  Thanks Mom!!  You're the best!

It looks like I'll be very busy this holiday season making homemade gifts and lots of party decor!!

Show & Tell: Ghostly Pumpkin

Last fall my hubby, little man and I went on a pumpkin hunt one Sunday afternoon.  We were driving back and forth on a highway outside of town in search of a pumpkin farm called Poverty Hills.  They were having an end of the season pumpkin sale.  Long story short, it took forever to find the place, but once we did, we found the coolest looking pumpkins I had ever seen.  They're white and are in the shape of ghosts!  So odd!  Anyway, I heard that the farm was delivering more pumpkins again this year to the most adorable local shop in Elkhorn, Nebraska called the Whistle Stop. (If you live in the area you have to check it out!)  They were having an open house last Thurs-Sat, so I took my mom with me to get another one of these cuter than cute pumpkins.  Here it is!

Isn't it so adorable?!  It's now at home on the shelf in our living room.

I think I might save some seeds from this one and try to grow my own next year...I'm gonna need a much bigger yard for all of the pumpkins I want to start growing!

Show & Tell: Family Farm

Today I wanted to show you a beautiful picture of a farm that hangs in my kitchen.  Now, my decor is no where near being country in style (not that there is anything wrong with country, that's just not my style), but the picture fits in perfectly.  It's actually a photo of my great grandparents farm outside of of Fort Dodge, IA.  They haven't lived on the farm for years, but this photo means so much to my family because it reminds us of our history.  I had wanted a copy of the photo forever and then finally my mom gave me a copy for Christmas 2 years ago.  I've had so many compliments on the photo and even more when they find out where it came from.  A little piece of history hanging on my wall is just the perfect artwork for our home.

Show & Tell: White Beauty

I inherited this pretty little white dish from my grandma.  I love the detail of the design and I am a big fan of having pops of white throughout my home decor.  Right now it's being used to hold some of the jewelry that I wear on a regular basis, but I'm hoping that someday soon it will be moved to my home office desk.  Looking at it reminds me of my grandma and makes me so happy!  I'd love to know what other people have as reminders decorating their home.

Show & Tell: Gorgeous Glasses

I got these amazing antique juice glasses at Walnut, Iowa's annual antique fair (which is one of the biggest antique fairs in the country...I know, hard to believe, but true).  It's held every year on father's day weekend.  I was so sad that I couldn't make it out this year because we were out of town, but I have gone the past couple years and let me tell you...so many beautiful things that it's hard to choose just a few.  I spotted these right away and it was love at first sight.  I couldn't stop thinking about them as I paraded through the streets lined with tables.  So, once we decided it was time to go, I made a beeline back to the booth to get them.  I even scored a deal.  The seller had them priced at $25 and I got all ten for $20!  I loved them so much that they actually inspired me to host a ladies only luncheon for all my girlfriends last summer and we are doing it again this year!

The pictures really don't do them justice!  They are much more iridescent than they appear.