27 Weeks | Diana Putnam Photography

I recently met up with Diana of Diana Putnam Photography for a photo shoot in downtown Salt Lake City. The morning had not gone my way. I was running late, I had a hard time finding parking for our meet up, and to top it off it was absolutely frigid and I mean freezing that day... so much so that I think the cold was messing with my head. I felt disoriented and less than capable of standing, let alone trying to pose for pictures. It was difficult to say the least. I was a slightly worried that the photos wouldn't turn out. And, with most photographers... they probably wouldn't have. Yet with Diana, it was easy. She is such a warm and kind person. She's the type that you don't feel embarrassed posing in front of. Instead, it's easy and comfortable. She offers plenty of feedback and positive reinforcement to make you feel comfortable, even when you're frazzled like I was. 

Diana Putnam Photography

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Diana is a professional in every sense of the word, and I think the quality of her photography speaks for itself. If you're looking to have any kind of photos done--family portraits, wedding, newborns, maternity--whatever type of photography, she has plenty of experience and an impressive portfolio! 

And speaking of wedding photography, she is giving away free wedding photography package to one lucky bride and groom! 

How incredible would this be for a couple of lovebirds who are about to tie the knot? If you are getting married soon or know of someone who is, make sure to check out this amazing opportunity!

Also, on a completely different note, I am now 27 weeks pregnant! This is the last week of my second trimester. I'm hardly every nauseous anymore, but definitely starting to feel huge and uncomfortable. I don't remember feeling this awkward until I was at least 32 weeks or so last time... a fact that terrifies me a little. I mean, I still have 13 weeks to go... and I don't feel like my stomach can take much more stretching. If my belly continues growing at this rate even walking might be hard to do by the time I'm full term. 

I was actually talking with my friend the other day who is just a couple of weeks behind me in pregnancy (she has a blog called Les Dedrickson which you should definitely check out). She texted me to tell me how uncomfortable she feels already. We're both on our second pregnancy and I have to admit that it was such a relief to hear that she's feeling the same as me. It wasn't so much that "misery loves company" as it was the fact that I was worried it was abnormal for me to feel so awkward. It was good to know I'm not the only one... so, I guess "misery loves company" after all haha. I have a sneaking suspicion that this boy of mine is going to follow in his older sister's footsteps and be a big newborn... and, if the size of my bump is any indicator, likely an even bigger newborn than she was. Heaven help me... I'm going to need it. 

Thank goodness I'm so excited to meet him! Whenever I get nervous or anxious about pregnancy and everything to come, I try to focus on the idea of holding him for the first time. It was such a beautiful and surreal experience with Klair, and I am completely ecstatic to do it again. I love going in his nursery, sitting in his chair, and simply imagining what he'll feel like in my arms. This will all be worth it.

Gold Diaper Bag | Floral Dress | Leather Jacket | Scarf | Brown Booties | Black Skinny Yoga Pants 

Klair Marie is 2 Years Old | Photography and Klairisms

Photography Credit: DMC Photography

My daughter-- my beautiful, perfect, precious child--is two.

How is this possible? Can so much time have really passed me by this quickly? I know these are the questions I will continue to ask for the rest of... well... forever. And, as cliche as they may be, they sincerely reverberate throughout my mind (quite frequently, but especially at times like these).

Two years ago on Saturday I was in the hospital. Baby girl had gone over her due date, and an ultrasound a few days earlier had revealed that she was likely around the 9 or 10 pound mark. My doctor took pity on my terrified state, and I was induced 2 days later making her 4 days "late." Once things got moving, my labor was relatively easy in nature and more beautiful than I could have imagined--thanks epidural! She arrived at 3:57 pm on Nov 29th after only about 25 minutes of pushing (I was really determined to avoid having a c-section). And, at 8lbs 3 oz and 22 inches long--she was a healthy size, but not nearly as large as we had thought. Measurements aside, she was of course perfect. 

The moment they handed her tiny, precious body to me... it was as if the heavens opened and I could see the vast span of eternity reflected in her beautiful blue eyes. A shift occurred that I hadn't fully expected. Suddenly, my soul knew it's purpose. Motherhood--being a mom to her--- was my destiny. She awakened this within me. Everything in my life had led me to his moment, and I knew I could never be the same. I didn't want to be. Life, love, existence--it was all made sweeter--more vulnerable, yes, but better than I could have ever imagined. With the love of my life by my side, we welcomed our daughter into this world and witnessed our hearts literally grow to encompass the new love that now defined us.

Two years later, our love and understanding of our heavenly gift continues to grow, and Klair Marie never ceases to amaze us.

-She is smart. She is incredibly, vastly, at times incomprehensibly smart. She comes up with things that leave me dumbfounded and speechless. She is now talking in full sentences, and I'm still not used to it. Her nose is constantly in a book (often times independently so) and given the opportunity I'm amazed by how much she knows--her alphabet, numbers, animals, and just about any random object you ask her about. The other morning I put Sam's jacket on, and she looked at me and said matter of factly "Mommy wears daddy's jacket"- correctly using the tense of the verb and the possessive pronoun... speechless.

Today we took her to the doctor for her 2 year well child checkup. As the doctor listed off things she should be doing at her age, Sam and I both looked at each other and smiled. For each of his questions we were able to answer in the affirmative--and more. Apparently her ability to speak in sentences, her memorization skills, her motor skills (such as kicking a ball and holding a pen/utensil correctly) are well advanced past her age. She's more like a 3 year old in many regards. I couldn't be more proud, and I'm excited to see her continue to grow and excel in life. I'm convinced that the possibilities for this girl are endless.

-She is funny. My social butterfly enjoys being the center of attention. She loves to laugh and earn the same response from others--silly noises, faces, cute little dance moves and songs--she isn't shy, and she's constantly putting on a show to make people smile. Dance class has been especially good for her. It has fostered her love of putting on a show and has furthered her ability to interact with other children in a positive way. We're working on respecting personal space, because she loves to hug the other girls randomly throughout class. And, although I know it's necessary to teach her boundaries, I'm almost sad to tell her she can't do go around hugging others. I'll just have to make up for it with that many more hugs at home. I can gladly do that.

-She is sweet. Her kindness, sympathy, and intuitive nature toward the disposition of others is startling for such a little person. She fearlessly smiles, waves, and greets everyone--usually obtaining the same response from those lucky enough to be graced by her presence. Her kindness is contagious. She can read my emotions, and when I'm sad she'll softly brush my hair aside and lovingly caress my face to make me feel better. She loves to kiss our "owies," tickle us, and give hugs and kisses in general. She constantly demands them from us, more recently coining my favorite demand "give me a kiss!" We're always more than happy to oblige.

-She is stubborn. Fiercely, wildly stubborn. She loves to do things on her own, and in her own little way. This independence often leads her down the path of most resistance, but her determination is certainly admirable.

-She is brave. Even when she's afraid of something, she will overcome her fears if necessary. When she's timid about doing something--going down a particular slide for instance--she'll eventually conquer her fear. Additionally she defeated her initial fear of vacuums and now she loves to vacuum right alongside me with her toy one. And, when she's sick or hurt, she puts her brave face on and tries to stay as happy and positive as possible.

-She is spiritual. She loves church, singing hymns (she'll sing along with us), and praying. Her love of prayers started awhile back with her closing her eyes, folding her arms, and bowing her head to pray. She would also end each prayer with an "amen." In the last few months she started saying her own prayers, at first by mimicking ours and now she'll send her own petitions heavenward--asking heavenly father to "please bless" each of her family members and our close friends who she names individually. She never forgets to ask for blessings on all of the babies that we know--particularly her baby brother. Listening to her sweet, perfect faith manifest itself in such a simple, yet profound way--it's enough to bring tears to the eyes. She is inspirational to say the least.

If it isn't obvious by now, we love our two year old. We're obsessed and completely in love with her. Although there is some bitterness in knowing that her baby years have come and gone, the sweetness of what's to come--the promise of the future--it far outweighs everything else. I'm so grateful that I get to watch her grow and have such an integral and intimate role in her life.

Her name means light, and that is exactly what she is. 

We couldn't have chosen anything more fitting.

A Mother-Daughter Photo Shoot + New Friends

Bloggers Pictured Above: Cecilia of Dearest Lou, Sandy of Sandy A La Mode, Sarah of Our Life is Beautiful, Jessi of Haircut and General Attitude, and Fatima of Les Dedrickson

Tribal Print Cardigan (similar) | Tan Booties: Pink Blush | Boot Socks: Target | Polka Dot Chiffon Blouse | Red Statement Necklace: Pink Blush

Klair's Outfit

 Sweater Dress & Gray Cable Knit Leggings & Cowgirl Boots: Target 

Recently I've been branching out a bit more into the blogging community. Until now, I've had a handful of friends with blogs, but they were people I was already friends with. Lately I've been venturing out of my comfort zone to make new acquaintances, and in the process I've met some women who I'm quickly becoming great friends with. There's something about being with other people who spend their time writing posts and taking endless pictures. We understand each other. We can talk openly and honestly about blogging--the pros and cons. I don't feel like I can talk about blogging with anyone. And, since I spend a significant portion of my spare time working on my blog, having someone to talk to who can relate is extremely therapeutic and frankly refreshing.

A few weeks ago I was invited to an event for the grand opening of Uptown Cheapskate (an awesome consignment store) in Sugar House. I went with some fellow bloggers, and we had such a great time. They were extremely generous to us, and I scored the tribal print sweater in the photos above, two pairs of boots, a dress shirt, and a dress that will be perfect for a flapper costume I'll be donning this next week--all for about $50. I love thrift shopping. I always feel so triumphant afterwards--stretching my dollar as far as possible. Later that night we headed to a blogging event hosted by Nordstrom, and walked away with some awesome gift bags full of samples. Apart from the free swag, the best part of the night was spending time with my new friends. I hardly ever get away, especially for a girls only night. I needed it.

This last week I met up with some of these lovely ladies for lunch and a play date with our kiddos. We went to this delicious little cafe called the Wild Zucchini, and headed to a nearby park afterward to let the kiddos play and to take some photos. Klair and I enjoyed ourselves so much that we're planning to have our new friends over for a play date--a tradition we're hoping to continue. When I started blogging I did it simply to record important aspects of my life--an online journal of sorts. I never imagined I would enter such an amazing and supportive community of women, but that's exactly what happened. I'm incredibly grateful for the connections I've already made, and I sincerely look forward to more to come!

Classic Midi Dress | Rachel Laukat Photography

White Statement Necklace: Target | Floral Patterned Midi Dress: Downeast (similar) | Blue Belt: Downeast (similar) | Gray Pumps:  thrifted (similar) 

I recently had a photoshoot with Rachel of Rachel Laukat Photography. She took the photos featured in a past post of mine entitled hip & humble, and she of course took the photos you see before you in this post. I raved on and on about how wonderful she is both as a person and a photographer in my previous post, so in order to avoid being too repetitive I'll just say this:  

If you need a photographer for any reason, you should definitely contact Rachel. You won't be disappointed! 

PLUS... if you mention my name in the next week while booking you can get 10% off a portrait session!

Rachel Laukat Photography 

Email | Website | Instagram | Facebook 

I loved working with Rachel, and I'm sure you will too!

That being said, I decided to do the shoot wearing this dress because it is one of my all time favorite pieces in my closet. I bought it just after Klair was born, and it was such a great choice at the time because it was flattering on my post pregnant body. Almost two years have passed and I still love it/wear it frequently. I feel like dresses with this cut are both classic and flattering on any shape. I'm particularly fond of the sleeve, because... let's face it. Cap sleeves only look good on a select few with perfect arms. I personally despise them on myself, and I love when I can find a dress with a slightly longer sleeve. Furthermore, I'm in love with all midi dresses for the season, so I've included several of my favorite midis with slightly longer sleeves in the slideshow below.

Because the dress is already a statement piece itself, I decided to keep my accessories in the same color family. The necklace that I'm wearing came from Target, and it's still for sale. I wear it pretty frequently. My shoes were actually thrifted, but I found a practically identical pair by Nine West that I linked above. I love these pumps, and would highly recommend a similar pair as they are both extremely comfortable, and go well with just about anything.

Happy Friday lovelies! I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Hip & Humble | Rachel Laukat Photography

Shirt Dress | Watch | Necklace | Bracelet | Clutch | Shoes

Recently I met up with Rachel of Rachel Laukat Photography for some photo fun. This girl has been doing event photography for years, and it shows! She is extremely professional and proficient at her trade. We met at this cute little boutique in Salt Lake called Hip & Humble, and it took her no time at all to snap these photos. I had set aside the evening for photos, but 20 minutes and 2 outfits later we were done. She knew exactly what she was doing, and it showed. All you have to do is browse through some of her photography to see the level of skill that she has. 

Additionally, I think it's important to mention that Rachel is really sweet and extremely helpful. I've had photographers before who were... less than amiable, and not very comforting. Standing in front of a camera can be intimidating! Yet she posed me and gave me feedback in a way that made me feel comfortable and confident. I feel like this people skill is just as important as a photographer's actual photo skills. And Rachel? Well, she's the whole package. 

Basically, if you need a photographer for portraits, an event, family photos, or even just a fun fashion shoot for your blog... you should definitely contact Rachel. You won't be disappointed! 

PLUS... if you mention my name in the next week while booking you can get 10% off a portrait session!

Rachel Laukat Photography 

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