tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55452847470914059422024-03-05T00:28:19.006-08:00steady happyhappily married, happy mama, happy home-making...christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.comBlogger312125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-87737693489185117192013-08-27T22:57:00.000-07:002013-08-27T22:57:32.163-07:00photographer {emily ulmer}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPP_lSU_CRHoiKqXZW8qZ2KM8IP-pXQYiQ54_x_6-pVNjGQ5CZeBH16y3B6DUFFNAnKRGYZkm4407TRo4PBPYNGP6xIOfnPu2ltf5fTJCOin6xI5LOglrrRaN4edp1fkh1ci5lgprv60/s1600/IMG_3513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPP_lSU_CRHoiKqXZW8qZ2KM8IP-pXQYiQ54_x_6-pVNjGQ5CZeBH16y3B6DUFFNAnKRGYZkm4407TRo4PBPYNGP6xIOfnPu2ltf5fTJCOin6xI5LOglrrRaN4edp1fkh1ci5lgprv60/s640/IMG_3513.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
emily and i were destined to meet. i was first introduced to the utterly amazing work of <a href="http://emilyulmer.com/">emily ulmer</a> by a good friend of ours almost two years ago. she had <a href="http://bellesqueaks.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/treasure-emily-ulmer-photography/">shot our friend's kids and her photos were stunning</a>. the images just captured them beautifully in such a suspension of a moment. i started <a href="http://instagram.com/ekulmer">following her work</a> and noticed she had taken lots of photos of friends' children. her images are so unique, deep and seem to absolutely capture the essence of the child she's photographing. <br />
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recently, bea's godfather posted a <a href="http://instagram.com/p/a7J07ryllK/">photo of himself & bea</a> on instagram and emily commented on the photo saying that she wanted her "camera to meet {her}." a few days after that, i was at my dear friend <a href="http://www.thelittlestblog.com/">elizabeth</a>'s house and she mentioned off-hand that she had written a note to her friend emily and told her about bea and that she needed to photograph her...<br />
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some things are just meant to be...the connections were bringing us closer. we managed to meet in person and emily offered to photograph bea. this month, we had the honor of having emily in our home, we spent a few hours together, with the morning light filtering through the windows, chatting and laughing, while she photographed bea. she was so easy and comfortable with bea...it was like she just opened up for emily and let her inside her world.<br />
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if you are lucky enough to live in the los angeles area, emily is offering a special rate for holiday portraits...1 hour session for 4 prints. please feel free to contact emily at <a href="mailto:info@emilyulmer.com">info@emilyulmer.com</a> to capture the beautiful moments in your little's life. not only will you get to have some amazing photos, you'll enjoy the time spent with emily as she's truly a treasure.<br />
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{photo credit: <a href="http://emilyulmer.com/">emily ulmer</a>}christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-55298337814994702372013-08-17T15:10:00.003-07:002013-08-17T15:19:40.425-07:00dusty blog...cough, cough...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnyaknI1KOaVrp6kycOs416ATexj8UfCtuqANGhZFy_s9UFGatS2MTZs2MJ4fxHwtT7rjY_u7CjC1b_7_P4oZDvJTgbQvv7iIXNEENI4fUclmNed0MyEeaTGQOivFUqSTr3TyRplcWdg/s1600/IMG_3483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnyaknI1KOaVrp6kycOs416ATexj8UfCtuqANGhZFy_s9UFGatS2MTZs2MJ4fxHwtT7rjY_u7CjC1b_7_P4oZDvJTgbQvv7iIXNEENI4fUclmNed0MyEeaTGQOivFUqSTr3TyRplcWdg/s640/IMG_3483.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
yes, this blog is dusty...my daughter's favorite book right now is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Duck-Cecil-Castellucci/dp/1596435577"><i>odd duck</i>, by cecil castellucci</a>. i read it almost daily. there's a page where the heroine, theodora (the odd duck?...no spoilers here, you <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Duck-Cecil-Castellucci/dp/1596435577">gotta get the book</a>), goes to the library and checks out books that "haven't been checked out in years," as max the librarian says as he's coughing and dusting them off. that's a little bit how i feel about this blog right now. i took i hiatus, but i didn't really announce it...and i'm still not sure if i'm back. i'm blogging for brands now, so that seems to take up a lot of my time. also, i've been really struggling about how much should i be blogging about my daughter on the internet?<br />
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this whole blog started out personal...our wedding...then beatrice...when she was a baby, it didn't bother me so much, but now that she's getting older, becoming a <i>girl</i>, i hesitate. for some reason posting pictures on <a href="http://instagram.com/steadyhappy">instagram</a> and twitter doesn't seem to bother me so much, but the act of sitting down and posting photos and writing about beatrice just doesn't seem to sit right with me. but some of my <a href="http://www.thelittlestblog.com/">favorite bloggers</a> blog about their families and children all the time...in fact, that's what i love about them so much...i feel connection, i can see the authenticity...i love the glimpse into their family...it's like taking a walk at night, i love it when houses are all aglow and i can see inside, i love to crane my neck to see if i can get a glimpse of what is going on inside my neighbor's house.<br />
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i've been <a href="http://blog.ergobaby.com/author/csoletti/">writing and editing</a> a lot lately too for my job, so sometimes after sitting at the computer all day long, the last thing i want to do is sit down and the computer and write some more. we're trying to raise beatrice, at least in the early years, without screens, and that includes this one i'm staring at...so it's also not something i feel comfortable doing with her around. <br />
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i don't know what the answer is, but i know i love <a href="http://adesertfete.blogspot.com/">the amazing people</a> i have met through blogging and i still have great relationships with them. some of their blogs are personal, some have <a href="http://apracticalwedding.com/">transformed</a> into something much bigger. i'm not sure how this blog will transform or what the next steps will be, but i'm putting myself back out in the universe and seeing what will return.<br />
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i'd love to hear your thoughts on blogging about your kids...<br />
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{photo credit: <a href="http://emilyulmer.com/">emily ulmer</a>}christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-6910400808485316632012-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:002013-08-17T15:29:28.788-07:00gratitude is a state of mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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while i appreciate the attention that gratitude is getting on this day of the year, i can't stop to think that being grateful should be a full time endeavor. we went to the waldorf school elves' faire last weekend and a cute elf came up to us at our table while we were eating lunch and presented us with a basket. she said: "choose a fortune." bea reached her little hand in, still sticky from vegan beans and rice, and pulled out a tiny scroll with a tiny ribbon around it. i helped her carefully unroll it. in lovely calligraphy it read: <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>gratitude is riches. complaint is poverty.</i><br />
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our life is so rich. we have food, clothing & shelter, we have family, we have friends and we have lots of love. while our lives aren't perfect and we face challenges everyday {like disheartening phone calls trying to get health insurance and being told "yes, if you were married you would pay less each month."}, but above all we are so amazingly blessed. everyday i wake up, i try to remember that and at the very least make a mental list of all the things i'm grateful for. everyday. <br />
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every single day. <br />
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{photo credit: <a href="http://www.jamiestreet.com/">jamie street</a>}christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-47908761182431248782012-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:002012-11-19T09:00:05.071-08:00music mondays {kitten}<div style="text-align: center;">
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loving this song from <a href="http://www.kittentheband.com/">kitten</a> right now.</div>
christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-89276294836546157882012-11-14T18:38:00.000-08:002012-11-14T18:40:17.082-08:00our love for hyland's<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DYV68ur6ydM?list=PL0814AA2B36279CC6&hl=en_US" width="560"></iframe><br />
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yes...we really do love <a href="http://www.hylandsbaby.com/product/teething-tablets-2/">hyland's teething tablets</a>. a lot.christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-31031514271203391232012-11-10T19:27:00.000-08:002013-08-17T15:30:04.348-07:00family photography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivY0FUH30SgOegVRmu6NgnHf7tA3pMmPZam___iBkHks0rth4sMFUf6l00TxfuHW1kZZoQqpAGLw2hEgX7RJkiBxSBmu6dWzwvs9Mow4uOX7fHzsp9E8Xh2jNFD5Em_-4diPAvAnhW14g/s1600/bea-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivY0FUH30SgOegVRmu6NgnHf7tA3pMmPZam___iBkHks0rth4sMFUf6l00TxfuHW1kZZoQqpAGLw2hEgX7RJkiBxSBmu6dWzwvs9Mow4uOX7fHzsp9E8Xh2jNFD5Em_-4diPAvAnhW14g/s640/bea-24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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a few months back, we were lucky enough to have the super talented <a href="http://www.jamiestreet.com/">jamie street</a>, the blogger behind <a href="http://adesertfete.blogspot.com/">a desert fete</a> and one half of the wedding photography sensation <a href="http://radandinlove.com/">rad + in love</a>, come and take <a href="http://adesertfete.blogspot.com/2012/08/i-promised-myself-i-wouldnt-post-too.html">some gorgeous family photos</a>.<br />
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her documentary style is not only gorgeous, but so thoughtful as well. she seems to capture the perfect moments.<br />
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if you are in the southern california area, and want some family photos in time for the holidays...definitely check out her mini sessions coming up. <br />
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check out the natural setting...so sweet. if you're lucky enough to be in san diego, don't miss out. if you are considering traveling in the socal area, it's worth the drive.<br />
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<br />christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-66337054272928021562012-11-08T23:17:00.000-08:002012-11-08T23:18:38.330-08:00work, stay at home...is it a choice?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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well, yes, it *has* been a while hasn't it. hello there. remember way back {you probably don't god knows how long ago i posted} when i said i wanted to <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/01/work-at-home-stay-at-home-workingmom.html">stay at home</a>? i did, for a long time. but i've had to go back to work. i've been blessed with jobs that are flexible and allow me to have at home time with beatrice, but i'm officially a working mama now. it wasn't really my choice, i went back to work for financial reasons. we decided that i would go back to work and patty would stay home with beatrice. on the other hand, i'm happy and grateful that patty is able to bond with beatrice and we are demonstrating a true parenting partnership.<br />
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to me, feminism is about choice, but what if i don't chose it? well, i suppose i did choose to go back to work and stay where we are versus moving somewhere that might have a lower cost of living...but as lesbian parents, we can't just pick up and move anywhere. i want beatrice to grow up with diversity and acceptance. i don't want her to be the only one she knows who has two moms or two dads. so we stay in the metropolitan area and i go back to work.<br />
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my priorities will always be family first and i will have to find ways for my life to reflect that. i'm still continually <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/search/label/mamas">inspired by other mamas</a> who make it work somehow...that ever elusive work/life balance. will the story change and evolve? of course it will. but i'm doing my best to be a present and supportive mama to beatrice, whatever that means today.<br />
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<br />christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-12639680728486881962012-02-29T10:00:00.001-08:002012-02-29T10:00:08.330-08:00steady as she grows {seventeen months}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2oGuktwyWp7ieuG1j83oSjVSXZ4RzESMxT7IhejQ0tA8YYEVXxjcZFfz9_rxs-tHDF3JgGUTb9lzFctfZ4t2X2ThNb-NKbaX_Kf7fjiZEFI3NOn16LFpf2CYvxV3Es4ebIG6r_e8lRU/s1600/P1070533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2oGuktwyWp7ieuG1j83oSjVSXZ4RzESMxT7IhejQ0tA8YYEVXxjcZFfz9_rxs-tHDF3JgGUTb9lzFctfZ4t2X2ThNb-NKbaX_Kf7fjiZEFI3NOn16LFpf2CYvxV3Es4ebIG6r_e8lRU/s400/P1070533.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUibS5XVP_MLoX1pTKBLAc6ZVpRkRyrYXe39DfEBtIBY3ppDp96KIZfAPi15fkW4toYF-68G5iPIB8DaioL8IMvDWN3gLlff2h0B9JjOnkmdT7BXQCGIzbsrqBQdFRVE3INH2OmwUGu9I/s1600/P1070531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUibS5XVP_MLoX1pTKBLAc6ZVpRkRyrYXe39DfEBtIBY3ppDp96KIZfAPi15fkW4toYF-68G5iPIB8DaioL8IMvDWN3gLlff2h0B9JjOnkmdT7BXQCGIzbsrqBQdFRVE3INH2OmwUGu9I/s400/P1070531.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_8H0afnRfLsf46nJdlrIF6K613Xi33APXxvtwruJXTiyTwnXHR85bKDMVF2W947j5GCTsRulvNwkWaDYw8YoxZfKKhmgT2-pXLfAJd0OKcX0eVwTPY_yEwuzMLX_X-QF8yRcqhprekQ/s1600/P1070536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_8H0afnRfLsf46nJdlrIF6K613Xi33APXxvtwruJXTiyTwnXHR85bKDMVF2W947j5GCTsRulvNwkWaDYw8YoxZfKKhmgT2-pXLfAJd0OKcX0eVwTPY_yEwuzMLX_X-QF8yRcqhprekQ/s400/P1070536.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>this weekend, we went to a playdate for a <a href="http://www.elriocharterschool.org/">waldorf charter school</a> that is scheduled to open in 2013. the idea of getting an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education">waldorf education</a> through the public school system is really appealing. i love the idea of a waldorf education, but a private education is so expensive...there are even two different waldorf schools in our area, but i'm really looking forward to the progress of this charter. this was our first playdate with this group and we are really excited to participate more!<br />
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this was beatrice's first time with painting...we bought her crayons the weekend before, but i was really inspired to get her painting...the set up was great, there were lots of cardboard boxes laid out on the ground and around in a circle. at first, bea just watched all the other kids...but by the end, she was literally laying inside a cardboard box painting it! <br />
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at seventeen months, she's got more control over her body and really loves exploration...so the painting was an amazing experience. i've been researching non toxic and homemade paints and now i have a use for all those cardboard boxes i've been inexplicably hoarding...<br />
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she is still signing and she knows more signs than words she can say, but she's really using her voice a lot more lately. she also knows that i'm "mama" and patty is "mom." we went through a million different names to call patty, but just sort of landed on mom. it's still confusing, but mostly for us...she seems to know the difference! yesterday, she saw a picture of patty and said "mom!"<br />
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i'm loving this age and the amazing growth spurts...she's also definitely demonstrating her toddler determination. we are working really hard on not taking things from her (unless it's dangerous!), which is tough. i want to respect her and not grab things from her, plus i ask her not to grab things from other kids, so "do as i say, not as i do?"...not so much. but this morning i accidentally left my phone within her reach, and usually if i ask for it back she'll give it to me. but this time, she pulled it away and said "nah!" so i've been trying to offer her alternatives and give her choices, so she is empowered...something like: "i'm not offering you the phone, but you can have this book or this toy..."<br />
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she's developing her own personality and it's such an exciting journey!<br />
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{photo credit: <a href="http://mostlygranola.blogspot.com/">bug from mostly granola</a>}christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-89010266362990333492012-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:002012-02-14T14:11:15.748-08:00happy valentine's day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEscVRqvjqaZ72Gbpkf8G3hMH6rk4NAntS7Mwg2JhvA1Q-C_MVN_yCwxvFClzNOwNWAsZD2i0gw6WgtkNeZRK58GXwUxIL3cA7xMRULGgYlqCMOQpqIt24Y46ipRcEZ_BZsu_SXpRKQg/s1600/plove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEscVRqvjqaZ72Gbpkf8G3hMH6rk4NAntS7Mwg2JhvA1Q-C_MVN_yCwxvFClzNOwNWAsZD2i0gw6WgtkNeZRK58GXwUxIL3cA7xMRULGgYlqCMOQpqIt24Y46ipRcEZ_BZsu_SXpRKQg/s640/plove.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">happy valentine's day! this year, we continued our family valentine's tradition of attending the true pablove event! <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/08/oh-people-youll-meet.html">last year was the first year and patty & i volunteered</a>...beatrice was only five months old, so i wrapped her up in my moby wrap and she was snug as a bug. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">true pablove is a family event to raise money for <a href="http://pablove.org/">the pablove foundation: fighting childhood cancer with love</a>. <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2009/07/bask-in-glow-of-pablo.html">this organization is really close to our hearts</a> as it was started by our dear friends jeff and joann, in memory of <a href="http://pablove.org/about/pablos-story/">their son pablo</a>, who died in 2009 from cancer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the event was so fun and so joyous--there was gymnastics, ice cream, pizza, tacos, music and crafts, crafts, crafts galore! we loved being able to give back to the community and have a wonderful time doing it. i said to patty, however: "i wish we didn't have to do this...i wish there wasn't a true pablove event. i wish that kids didn't get cancer." but <a href="http://pablove.org/about-kids-cancer/pediatric-cancer-facts/">kids do get cancer</a>. to which patty responded: "jeff and joann have been able to use their story to give joy and help to others." so true, jeff and joann are some of the the most amazing, positive people i've come across in my life and i'm honored to know them and so grateful that we are able to help in even just a small way. the work that <a href="http://pablove.org/">pablove foundation</a> does is so important and <a href="http://pablove.org/category/events/">they have found a way to infuse joy and positivity</a> and love while helping children who need it most...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">happy valentine's day send your love out to those who need it...<a href="http://pablove.org/get-involved/host-a-fundraiser/">help fight childhood cancer with love! </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">{photo from <a href="http://thefotomatic.com/">the fotomatic</a> booth at true pablove! bea kept looking at the little screen on the bottom and not at the camera...}</div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-30203137624026784412012-02-09T11:06:00.000-08:002012-02-09T11:06:38.578-08:00rad + in love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mQZzM-qveO5xtmgNjcT9oVs19rbQf5weYSomdIKEyF5jFmt-D_8y0w06qhlgq0iiiTFRfUsNKBjPQDkDQFXFmp3j8HuFCjRk72KwPtI0t74p6-Ef5pyFBX0KdgqTd5cfxzMz7_rdUNA/s1600/alicia1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mQZzM-qveO5xtmgNjcT9oVs19rbQf5weYSomdIKEyF5jFmt-D_8y0w06qhlgq0iiiTFRfUsNKBjPQDkDQFXFmp3j8HuFCjRk72KwPtI0t74p6-Ef5pyFBX0KdgqTd5cfxzMz7_rdUNA/s400/alicia1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglJ5KDdTUyjn2xHGtxcTWHtdUix_-u36n49KVYXcoXwzYVUTdHfRcNE-cKEM1caUdeyLwG-Csz2QVAi62qa91vD1FpxnBaT_q0jXPQEedAM2Wn0pWj0zSIM_okkIWwkJ6Ro-Ut4h9i58/s1600/AD_CO35_1_8CROPPED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglJ5KDdTUyjn2xHGtxcTWHtdUix_-u36n49KVYXcoXwzYVUTdHfRcNE-cKEM1caUdeyLwG-Csz2QVAi62qa91vD1FpxnBaT_q0jXPQEedAM2Wn0pWj0zSIM_okkIWwkJ6Ro-Ut4h9i58/s400/AD_CO35_1_8CROPPED.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtNNsjU7xmZAZHFfxY4SrM2HNS3_WeD9FdlkDEbYZyoIVyXAz_uF9rWDrohk37Fkn7bAU9hyphenhyphenJezuJJLWNFmPw3vMWXrqMFny-ydxi06rkP4PCbhV0TRO2e92GKmfZ3NiIbqQTIPpX3ak/s1600/MP_1561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtNNsjU7xmZAZHFfxY4SrM2HNS3_WeD9FdlkDEbYZyoIVyXAz_uF9rWDrohk37Fkn7bAU9hyphenhyphenJezuJJLWNFmPw3vMWXrqMFny-ydxi06rkP4PCbhV0TRO2e92GKmfZ3NiIbqQTIPpX3ak/s400/MP_1561.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>i'm so thrilled to see that my dear friend <a href="http://adesertfete.blogspot.com/">jamie</a> has launched her new photography business <a href="http://radandinlove.blogspot.com/">rad + in love</a>. <a href="http://radandinlove.blogspot.com/2012/02/alicia-dylan-at-korakia-pensione.html">check out their amazing pics of a recent wedding</a> at <a href="http://www.korakia.com/">korakia pensione </a>in palm springs...breathtakingly beautiful...<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/radandinlove">these gals are ones to watch</a>...hmmm...can we get married again so they can shoot it??<br />
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hot tip for new yorkers: they will be in new york in june 2012...no travel fees...pretty sweet deal.<br />
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{photo credit: <a href="http://RADANDINLOVE.COM/">rad + in love</a>}<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">ps. i love that they are bringing back the word RAD! that's hella cool...</span>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-9837640353699441282012-02-09T10:00:00.000-08:002012-02-09T10:00:03.609-08:00kicking off the love stories...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznSqvUSz_whXNPe761YHSAK7PRbPk0G1qS5_O3v33WQmCxjDERHNDBp61k0b9a8LnezIlVOveesjaUv9og2CdUyueuFAQ46VsXZEtFY9K5a6eOPRJs-ckz8nDPWosE5xJ7dQSuLvtodY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznSqvUSz_whXNPe761YHSAK7PRbPk0G1qS5_O3v33WQmCxjDERHNDBp61k0b9a8LnezIlVOveesjaUv9og2CdUyueuFAQ46VsXZEtFY9K5a6eOPRJs-ckz8nDPWosE5xJ7dQSuLvtodY/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>just in time for <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/gay-marriage-prop-8s-ban-ruled-unconstitutional.html">the overturn of prop 8</a>, and leading up to valentines day, <a href="http://sometimessweet.blogspot.com/2012/02/love-stories-christina-patty.html">our little love story</a> kicks off a <a href="http://sometimessweet.blogspot.com/search/label/love%20stories">series</a> over at <a href="http://www.sometimessweet.com/">sometimes sweet</a>! <a href="http://sometimessweet.blogspot.com/2012/02/love-stories-christina-patty.html">check it out...</a><br />
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{photo credit: <a href="http://twitter.com/brettgurewitz">brett gurewitz</a>}christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-75403228815134638132012-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:002012-02-07T12:55:41.012-08:00little faery...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExwBQiRsBJVYwpfiPMQhRS3zy0SnAZEhxV6GwvwlXwwVLG0Yy3DJGsUM66WbZScNN4YHVV9OjiFyMqrIZwiHw-ympGV37Jwh_zDew6Qkd1DU5hM8eW7WzFDujyWlotDo90xiDMuyheXs/s1600/beafairie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExwBQiRsBJVYwpfiPMQhRS3zy0SnAZEhxV6GwvwlXwwVLG0Yy3DJGsUM66WbZScNN4YHVV9OjiFyMqrIZwiHw-ympGV37Jwh_zDew6Qkd1DU5hM8eW7WzFDujyWlotDo90xiDMuyheXs/s400/beafairie2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudfhrJmWDaqrSS3LDC7t3UJdcW-yLtrfzTj2DopnLTGLvZXjkzW_InZWmvhT8AxJ3GJk81Dks0YJK6Y_gHFZGnAvbPLs198uFn3nq28LpIauhO9uhXJPz9nJUPz6b2OMy5iwDlib3lVk/s1600/beafairiewoods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudfhrJmWDaqrSS3LDC7t3UJdcW-yLtrfzTj2DopnLTGLvZXjkzW_InZWmvhT8AxJ3GJk81Dks0YJK6Y_gHFZGnAvbPLs198uFn3nq28LpIauhO9uhXJPz9nJUPz6b2OMy5iwDlib3lVk/s640/beafairiewoods.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBC8OgC3G9qiJXWkVyRQMVjDVlKGsyc3olXpEL07r_a8lVdS2pMzPptPMR5x-H-VObvS6QIMjscZa51cJ_lm1J8dNMTliglfhXYCHDS7OKkcghjGyo0jw0nz01am0mXiuD_INrYXsTp8/s1600/P1020587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBC8OgC3G9qiJXWkVyRQMVjDVlKGsyc3olXpEL07r_a8lVdS2pMzPptPMR5x-H-VObvS6QIMjscZa51cJ_lm1J8dNMTliglfhXYCHDS7OKkcghjGyo0jw0nz01am0mXiuD_INrYXsTp8/s400/P1020587.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>this weekend, beatrice had her first interactions with faeries at <a href="http://www.descansogardens.org/">descanso gardens</a>...we went to the <a href="http://montrose.patch.com/articles/camellia-festival-fairies-flowers-and-wonderment-photos#photo-9055525">camellia festival at the gardens and they had really fun faery tours.</a>..<br />
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truth be told, she didn't really interact so much with the faeries, but she loved running in the woods and picking up sticks! but i love the idea of the magic and wonder that the faery tours bring...it's such a wonderful way to be close to and celebrate nature!christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-60970176414681634602012-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:002012-02-02T10:00:07.286-08:00vintage weekend...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1yEE61aPeRXApx0T7o18ywEWvuZuhNBDmVOTpHOfdNQsFx1qVIdy8dNz5xCCxYIHj2nhS-aJruonDl-Au9aR191igbd_cLS2cZ1M2oODIl5ygaFTfNi6KPdV8jcj2-z7flPK0MIWZvU/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1yEE61aPeRXApx0T7o18ywEWvuZuhNBDmVOTpHOfdNQsFx1qVIdy8dNz5xCCxYIHj2nhS-aJruonDl-Au9aR191igbd_cLS2cZ1M2oODIl5ygaFTfNi6KPdV8jcj2-z7flPK0MIWZvU/s640/44.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>so excited...my absolute <a href="http://www.vintageexpo.com/">favorite vinage expo</a> is happening this weekend in santa monica. i've been going in both san francisco and santa monica for years...in fact, i bought <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2008/10/wedding-details-dress.html">my amazing vintage wedding dress {circa 1930's}</a> from a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheButlersCottage">great vendor</a> there. it's probably the best spot to find <a href="http://www.eastsidebride.com/2012/01/this-is-not-vintage-wedding-photography.html">a genuine vintage wedding gown</a>...as there are so many under one roof...<br />
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<a href="http://vintageexpo.com/calendar.htm">this weekend! february fourth & fifth in santa monica!</a>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-54896893767716577932012-01-31T14:07:00.000-08:002012-01-31T14:07:11.949-08:00funny and crunchy...<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RVA-A0RqkhM" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;">ha, ha...remember my <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-does-crunchy-mama-mean.html">crunchy mamas post</a>? well, here's a great little character sketch...i haven't been watching any of the "sh*t...says" videos, but i had to watch this one! yes, totally laughing at myself...</div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-20208366021570486752012-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-19T10:00:00.908-08:00other folks weddings: {malia & michelle}<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>i'm thrilled to feature this gorgeous wedding that took place last year on september 25...a lovely desert wedding at the ever so fabulous <a href="https://www.acehotel.com/palmsprings">ace hotel in palm springs</a>. disclaimer: i've known malia {in suit} since the early 1990's and i'm over the moon that she found michelle, the girl for her. this relaxed, joyous wedding is full of love and fun... and i adore michelle's vintage style and yes, malia is <a href="http://www.eastsidebride.com/2011/06/suit-shopping-for-butch-bridesmaid.html">woman who wears men's clothes</a>...and wears them well! so get yourself a tasty beverage that reminds you of the relaxed summer vibe that this wedding emits, think sunny california desert thoughts and toast to malia and michelle!</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6468509499/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6468509499_87cdfbf9db_b.jpg" width="423" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>how long were you together before you got married?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we have known each since the mid 90s but were a couple for about two years before we got married.</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6467485641/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="431" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6467485641_b4fb73f028_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6467508123/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6467508123_c8630666c0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6467446937/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="418" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6467446937_2c9ab414fd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472365901/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6472365901_2db0fc0a5a_b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6468490931/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6468490931_8f6b0322c7_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6468505281/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6468505281_5769b69d64_b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6467451247/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6467451247_d1ea8ec8f6_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>did you diy anything? what did you leave to vendors?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we did the save the dates ourselves...our invitations were done custom by <a href="http://www.austinpress.com/site/">kimberly austin at austinpress</a> in san francisco. our beautiful flowers and the decor were done by luna at <a href="http://arrangementsdesign.com/">arrangements design</a> in palm springs. both ladies were a complete treat to work with and really understood what we wanted!</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6472355541_40dca22ef1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" border="0" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6472355541_40dca22ef1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>tell me about the day{s}.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we got married on sept 25 2011 at the ace hotel in palm springs...we love going there year round so we thought it would be perfect to have the wedding there...lots of happy times there for us...we had about 120 friends and family from all parts of the world join...we pretty much took over the hotel for the week! it felt really special to see all our loved ones in one giant magical place. the day of the wedding was filled with swimming, eating, the ceremony, and lots of dancing and more swimming! and a ton of love!!!</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472358865/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6472358865_d2927a690f_b.jpg" width="423" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">how did you approach the planning process?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we have a wonderful friend heather who can arrange parties with her eyes closed!so thankfully she helped us! also taneka at the ace hotel helped with arranging everything dealing with the space and vendors and the delicious food!!! </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">what was important?</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">music!!! luckily the wonderful <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-Wisdom/163738307003240">zach cowie</a> lent us his talent for the night! no one wanted to stop dancing! it was awesome because the space had a private pool so people could dance and jump in the pool too. zach really took time out of his crazy music world life to understand what we wanted to dance to and it turned out perfect!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472354301/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6472354301_d4a4660cef_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472352717/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="266" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6472352717_c577169ff2_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472337713/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6472337713_ce10582718_b.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6471978313/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6471978313_409261d07e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6471974133/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6471974133_965592922d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472329543/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6472329543_a6cd1f0be0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<b>what was your favorite part of the day?</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the unreal amount of love that everyone brought...sounds cheesy but it was really so sweet...</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>one piece of advice?</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">just really enjoy each part of the planning and relax on the day of...it goes by really quick!</span></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472449999/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6472449999_0fe0a68df3_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6468569469/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="264" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6468569469_7a8dfff16b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">{photographer: <a href="http://marvinsplace.tumblr.com/">eyla cuenca</a>}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">{dj: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/DJ-Wisdom/163738307003240">zach cowie</a>}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">{flowers & decor: luna at <a href="http://arrangementsdesign.com/">arrangements design</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">}</span></div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-66355339268770073912012-01-11T14:42:00.000-08:002012-01-11T14:42:25.486-08:00sneak peak: other folks weddings {malia & michelle}<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maliaspanyol/6472356199/" title="2011 Palm Springs by mr. pork chop, on Flickr"><img alt="2011 Palm Springs" height="416" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6472356199_b4bbcc565d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">i know it's been a while, but i just got the pics and the low-down on a super lovely, loving and amazing wedding that took place at <a href="https://www.acehotel.com/palmsprings">the palm springs ace hotel</a> last september...can't wait to share it with you all...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">{photo credit: <a href="http://marvinsplace.tumblr.com/">eyla cuenca</a>}</div></div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-14455856559167055132012-01-04T15:59:00.000-08:002012-01-04T15:59:19.513-08:00what does a crunchy mama mean?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSseIqFbN_FaqViiMsAWzzbsIsRtDM4t7dRAqeFAnhn72H1RYm4acs-_lBXJU1U_yzYxV1NLJh5wNqF8POwfSatkpZMjFg6YjW-87X7urlIDKZdHP_gPPQQFaV47tVwFgTcqnL0A-o_I/s1600/377010_10150412316356378_569446377_8997935_335751512_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSseIqFbN_FaqViiMsAWzzbsIsRtDM4t7dRAqeFAnhn72H1RYm4acs-_lBXJU1U_yzYxV1NLJh5wNqF8POwfSatkpZMjFg6YjW-87X7urlIDKZdHP_gPPQQFaV47tVwFgTcqnL0A-o_I/s400/377010_10150412316356378_569446377_8997935_335751512_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>i'll post a holiday round up post soon...beatrice *loved* <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-love-craigslist.html">her kitchen</a>...it was a real hit! best $85 i've spent in a while...<br />
<br />
lately i've been obsessing over babywearing... <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-to-wearthe-baby.html">i began wearing beatrice very early on and i have a few different carriers</a>, but lately i've been wanting more. i've been spending time on various babywearing boards and have realized that it's a vast and diverse community. and it's a community...there are so many women {and some men} out there, but it's still not very mainstream. unfortunately, the norm is still those very uncomfortable baby bjorns...<br />
<br />
and with every community, there is definitely diversity...but many babywearing mamas fall into the <i><a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crunchy%20mama">crunchy mama</a></i> realm: natural birth, cloth diapering, babywearing, AP, non-vaxing, co-sleeping, eating organic, respecting the child, gentle parenting, etc. i consider myself very crunchy, i definitely do all of the above, except the non-vaxing {my decision to vax is another, long post...}. i'm pretty on the <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/search/label/hippie">hippie side</a> and i also fall on the liberal side. my experience of "hippie" coming from the san francisco bay area {haight ashbury, berkeley, etc} has been that hippie or crunchy equals liberal. well not so much in the mama-hood world...<br />
<br />
i'm finding that many of the mamas on the boards are pretty conservative socially and quite religious. there is definitely a faction of mormon mamas who are very crunchy. and i have to admit: this is a bit unsettling for me sometimes...it definitely puts me on guard a little bit when i'm posting or on the forums. i find myself using the <i>partner</i> word but avoiding the <i>she </i>pronoun for fear of being judged. <br />
<br />
however, i know that by withholding information and assuming that i will be judged, that i'm the one doing the judging...i'm the one judging them and assuming that their views will not be accepting of me. what would that say to my daughter? <i>don't be yourself, for fear of being judged?</i> that's certainly not a message i want to send her. so in order to practice my philosophy of leading by example, i'm working on acceptance on my part...<br />
<br />
{photo of me wearing bea at an <a href="http://www.outfest.org/index.php">outfest </a><a href="http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2011/12/05/photos-star-studded-outfest-womens-soiree?page=0,3">fundraising event</a>}christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-56639838396776122392011-12-19T11:16:00.000-08:002011-12-19T11:16:54.431-08:00scary santa...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UItVKKWZLPq-3KKrSW5OKSPaHBPBfgkG5r_esnV_WXKldX2o4__sKfp5WZo970cMegYXkXd0p9MIBFo9oJuef9NjeybePDqvzpxGdlsrxbb2qG3Xspb9WSRkGRuKWbtuGroRZd0V_Gw/s1600/Santa_Claus_0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UItVKKWZLPq-3KKrSW5OKSPaHBPBfgkG5r_esnV_WXKldX2o4__sKfp5WZo970cMegYXkXd0p9MIBFo9oJuef9NjeybePDqvzpxGdlsrxbb2qG3Xspb9WSRkGRuKWbtuGroRZd0V_Gw/s640/Santa_Claus_0133.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>this year, patty really wanted to get a picture of beatrice with santa claus. saturday at the farmers market, a preschool that is on our list of favorites called <a href="http://cottageenrichment.com/">cottage enrichment</a>, was doing a fundraiser by taking santa pictures. win-win! we get to donate to a great preschool, support our community and avoid the mall! hooray....well, not so much. beatrice was not having it. since we hang out at the farmers market, we let her watch a few other kids get their picture taken, so she could see what it was all about...she just watched, wide-eyed as kids eagerly bounded up to santa to tell him their wishes. there was a set of sisters, maybe five and three, and the three year old was a little scared. her big sister held her hand and the photographer and her parents made her laugh. crisis averted...no tears...<br />
<br />
when it was our turn, we went up to santa and beatrice held on to me for dear life, so we decided to sit with her to see if she was ok with it. before we even sat down, the photographers played with her for a little bit and got a few smiles out of her...so we thought let's try it! well, sure enough, she started crying...lots of folks were trying to make her smile, including us {hence the silly, happy faces we are making...}. but in the end, it was just too much.<br />
<br />
usually, beatrice isn't afraid of anything. in fact, she really doesn't have "stranger danger," and it almost concerns me, as i would like for her to have a healthy weariness of strangers. <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/08/oh-people-youll-meet.html">she's also been in the presence of yo gabba gabba characters</a> twice and it didn't faze her at all...so we were a little surprised that santa was what scared her...<br />
<br />
and although this is one of those holiday traditions we hope our kids enjoy, i want to respect beatrice and not force things on her. she's her own person and i respect her cues. did i cross the line with the santa pictures? did i ignore her cues and disrespect her by trying to get the picture for us and the grandparents? maybe, yes...<br />
<br />
patty has been taking beatrice to a <a href="http://www.rie.org/">RIE</a> playgroup, and while i don't subscribe to every tenant of that philosophy, i love their emphasis on respecting the child and having patience with them and respecting their learning path. so while we got the picture, maybe this isn't one of my shining parenting moments...and that's ok. live and learn...i know i'm bound to make many mistakes...<br />
<br />
but this has definitely got me thinking about the whole notion of santa. i feel very strongly about not lying to beatrice, but i also really want her to cultivate a sense of wonder, imagination and magic. and these holiday traditions can do that...obviously, beatrice is too young now to understand the magic of santa... but stories like santa and other fairy tales allow for that. but if santa is not something she buys into, i want to respect that and allow her to find magic in her own way.<br />
<br />
so...will our family celebrate santa? we'll see, only time will tell...but, honestly, i would really love to avoid the dark side that santa inspires: the consumerism, the frantic feelings and the "gimme" attitude...in fact, usually over the holidays i tell family and friends to donate to <a href="http://www.pablove.org/">my favorite charity</a> rather than buying me a gift...and every year, we usually <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-fridaydonate-toys.html">donate toys to children's hospital</a> and try to give back in other ways, like making lunches for the homeless on christmas day. does it have to be either/or? no, i think we can have fun with santa but also cultivate a sense of helping and giving back, too...<br />
<br />
maybe we'll create our own holiday family tradition that is fun and magical and inspires beatrice to donate her time to others and be grateful for what she has...something involving fairies?!christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-2156162104783945592011-12-12T11:26:00.000-08:002011-12-12T11:26:43.656-08:00we got the {off}beat...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSii5Mdev1QW6Mr8UioyfThKZWf4hKOk-Q_J97w-JN-qduYyTLMdAwu4wa8E8dePgUuL0M6Ko6H6VfpR5F2RDc0M1LmkIfcCrty59FNTuELJeVwDJhQcy7iH12mnXkJSrjGRNGm3uv3Q/s1600/IMG_1289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSii5Mdev1QW6Mr8UioyfThKZWf4hKOk-Q_J97w-JN-qduYyTLMdAwu4wa8E8dePgUuL0M6Ko6H6VfpR5F2RDc0M1LmkIfcCrty59FNTuELJeVwDJhQcy7iH12mnXkJSrjGRNGm3uv3Q/s400/IMG_1289.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>clearly, beatrice will have music in her life and will be able to keep a beat...but is her family <a href="http://offbeatmama.com/">{offbeat}</a> because she has two moms? of course it is...but of course it is perfectly normal too. we are the new normal...<br />
<br />
yes, admittedly, beatrice's beginnings are a little different {offbeat?} than most...and i'm thrilled to have a guest post over at <a href="http://offbeatmama.com/">offbeat mama</a> today, where you can read all about it. thank goodness for <a href="http://offbeatmama.com/">offbeat mama</a>, where stories like ours can be heard! hurrah!christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-26870551553646433772011-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:002011-12-08T13:26:25.303-08:00i love craigslist...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3NG3e0iWmtdWOH4wq9Zo6zSYMtk6LLfYvKuo2TWBtuWUlU8lAvHGyl203Gw3uH1ftW4mPyNPts7KN9dDPeHlmHRs4eFkRtw2T0_Wh0MMeJlDY_SNQBkeqMjzfvIbJh8skmk9kpvKhRA/s1600/Kid%2527s%252BKitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3NG3e0iWmtdWOH4wq9Zo6zSYMtk6LLfYvKuo2TWBtuWUlU8lAvHGyl203Gw3uH1ftW4mPyNPts7KN9dDPeHlmHRs4eFkRtw2T0_Wh0MMeJlDY_SNQBkeqMjzfvIbJh8skmk9kpvKhRA/s400/Kid%2527s%252BKitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>i have literally furnished our entire home with craigslist or flea market finds...so i was so excited to find a used wood kitchen for beatrice on craigslist! it's a <a href="http://www.wayfair.com/Little-Colorado-Kids-Kitchen-92-OZ1026.html?refid=GPA49-OZ1026_1228925_2548563&PiID=1228925&PiID=2548563&gclid=CLH118Wy86wCFdGR7Qod5yPgzw">$200 kitchen new</a>, but i snagged it from a lovely hippie family in <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/topanga-canyon-topanga">the canyon</a> for only $85...<br />
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we are not going crazy with christmas gifts for bea...first of all, she's too young to really get into the whole thing and secondly, and more importantly, i really don't want to make christmas and the holidays so consumer and gift focused for her. so we are going to get her one nice present for "under the tree" and since it's used, it's even better! pre-loved from a sweet hippie family...so it's got good vibes to boot!christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-52459292624175456032011-11-22T14:22:00.000-08:002011-11-22T14:22:21.305-08:00recipe {baby nuggets}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvJO_sHQnahhyupiBZ2nfm53MPZr28Hl7Jub5Bci_K6q5gs8xTAq_iklb3lBadLdZxQ4p_bLOOPSZjEqqr3EeYFxge7GOrFUwhLmpQd9Hi5udU8hDegbql1AINGFhufNyVtCC4D2d7xI/s1600/IMG_1435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvJO_sHQnahhyupiBZ2nfm53MPZr28Hl7Jub5Bci_K6q5gs8xTAq_iklb3lBadLdZxQ4p_bLOOPSZjEqqr3EeYFxge7GOrFUwhLmpQd9Hi5udU8hDegbql1AINGFhufNyVtCC4D2d7xI/s640/IMG_1435.JPG" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">beatrice loves feeding herself. she never really took to purees, even early on. so i started out with <a href="http://www.babyledweaning.com/">baby led weaning</a>...giving her chunks of food that she can handle and letting her eat it with her hands. that said, she didn't really "get into solids" until about 10 months or so...and it wasn't really until her first birthday that the solid food eating really took off...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">so most food i feed her is finger food, or something that she can pick up. lots of pasta, steamed veggies, etc. however, her favorite food is what we call "baby nuggets." basically, i find any good veggie patty recipe and instead of making patties, i roll into small little balls that are perfect for her small grip...she LOVES them. {mamas and papas love them too, so it's a nice food for everyone on the go!}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">this is her favorite recipe, by far, adapted from my favorite non-dairy, calcium rich collection of recipes called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Calciyum-Delicious-Calcium-Rich-Dairy-Free-Vegetarian/dp/0968350305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321999860&sr=8-1">calci-yum</a>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{sweet potato mini nuggets}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">preheat oven to 350 degrees</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">makes about 50 nuggets</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">cookie sheet, lightly oiled</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{i bake half the dough and freeze the other half for later}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 medium sweet potatoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tbsp olive oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 onion, finely chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups finely chopped chinese lettuce {i use bok choy, spinach or kale as a substitute if i can't find chinese lettuce}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 cloves garlic, minced {optional, depending on baby's tolerance, but bea loves it}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 dried oregano</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups rolled oats</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup wheat germ</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 cup whole wheat flour {i also use oat flour instead sometimes}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 cup bread crumbs {sometimes i mix in flax or dehydrated kale too}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. in a bowl using potato masher or food processor, mash chickpeas to a rough paste. set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. pierce sweet potatoes with a fork; wrap in foil and bake in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours or until soft. remove skin and mash together with cooked chickpeas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. in a non-stick skillet with lid, heat oil over medium. add onion and chinese lettuce {or kale or spinach, whatever you have on hand!}; saute for 3 minutes. add pepper, garlic, salt and oregano. cover and cook until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. transfer to sweet potato/chickpea mixture, along with rolled oats, wheat germ and flour. mix until well combined. let cool.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. with slightly wet hands, roll into 1 inch balls, roll in breadcrumb mixture and place on oiled cookie sheet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. bake for about 15-20 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">{photo by patty}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-5785288381637940632011-11-18T14:04:00.000-08:002011-11-18T14:11:54.842-08:00mamas who inspire {heidi cicero}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>well, now that i'm back in the work force and ignoring this blog, i thought i'd feature a mama who really inspired me to stay at home with beatrice as long as possible! i love heidi's story for many reasons: she's so fun and inspired with her child and really creates a sense of wonder and play...oliver is such a great kid and their family is so much fun...i mean they call themselves the chicken family and do a family dress up day as star wars characters! how can you not love them...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>she also never thought she wanted to have kids, so to see her really take on the mama role with all her heart is so inspiring. we've had many conversations about how important it is to make time for your kids and what priorities are with a family. although i've joined the ranks of working mamas for now, i know i'll be a stay at home mama again and heidi's immersion in that role is so inspiring...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>heidi and i also spoke about feminism before i posted this...she was nervous about the way she portrays her role as a 1950's housewife...and you know, i think that's feminism too!! feminism to me is making your own choices and loving your life and your role. and heidi does that with gusto!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>have you always wanted to be a mama?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif; font-weight: normal;">I never thought I was going to be a mama. I was really happy being crazy auntie Mame in rhinestone caftans, and then I fell so in love with my sisters little girl Lily and we decided we would be crazy not to have a little chicken. </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFVMmfLVdME0UjQDtdujGR5xB3e6IQAUY2wUs1JMfVlUy818R_f2_VTjpSCuOOhRSWErpKPSmUh1-Cm4bHjOaLOK2g4nG8_TzhbvilTULLe6ISygrBm9rMCSFFTUuU0T3HyGDcLX1bys/s1600/DSC_0493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFVMmfLVdME0UjQDtdujGR5xB3e6IQAUY2wUs1JMfVlUy818R_f2_VTjpSCuOOhRSWErpKPSmUh1-Cm4bHjOaLOK2g4nG8_TzhbvilTULLe6ISygrBm9rMCSFFTUuU0T3HyGDcLX1bys/s640/DSC_0493.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif;"><b>tell me about your kid(s).</b></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif;">My amazing husband Andy and I have one boy named Olivio Kukui Cicero. We call him Oliver. It's difficult to explain how incredible he is. He is kind and generous, loving and hysterically funny. Smart and and far more patient than me. I love looking at the world through his creative eyes. He is constantly teaching me to be a better person. Oliver is a super cool kid who can hang with the little ones or hold a stimulating conversation with the grown ups at the party (especially if the topic is Star Wars). The big six year old just walked into the room and he wants me to tell you his favorite color is green and his favorite animal is a rhino and that he is going to be a director. I think the Tim Burton exhibit made a very big impression on him. Once we decided to get preggers it happened super fast. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTRXd25Q3k_QzSCUQMIBdIOqv1rdVboA0e2XVQJrFSnlBCX3hIE-RtS8hwCeUrl3Gb7sU2_xkyRiI6eURWnnnGa8w1SULjB8_BOYtKVgWhuDCwCd5eyKU4JdJpsOKSu86MTpcmiX2XnM/s1600/photo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTRXd25Q3k_QzSCUQMIBdIOqv1rdVboA0e2XVQJrFSnlBCX3hIE-RtS8hwCeUrl3Gb7sU2_xkyRiI6eURWnnnGa8w1SULjB8_BOYtKVgWhuDCwCd5eyKU4JdJpsOKSu86MTpcmiX2XnM/s640/photo-3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<b>what does stay at home mama mean to you? do you miss your working life?</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif;"></span><br />
<div>Does any mama really stay home ? I am a glorified chauffeur between school, Karate and hangout's with his friends and mine. Sometimes I feel like I'm just as busy now as I was when I was working full time. I have a few clients that I dress and I'm starting a personal styling / costuming service for events, halloween, and theme parties. Because every woman or man deserves to be fabulous even if they're not a celebrity. I think everyone secretly likes to dress up, but not everyone loves to shop or has the time to find the perfect ensemble. That's where I come in. I kind of fancy myself a 1950's/60's housewife, somewhere between Lucy and Laura Petrie (from the Dick van Dyke show). I know</div><div> I will get a lot of flack for admitting this ( my sister in law is the editor for Ms. magazine.) I can't help it though. I love being a mama and taking care of my family. I'm super happy when I can greet my man in the door way with a cool libation after a hard day at work wearing the perfect pink frock and cha cha heels. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in my own John Waters movie . I also appreciate how lucky I am that I don't have to work so I really like to pull my weight around the house.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAVeLRuBl65SCRV-s2jU-bc6r5iGSeXJceVcu0I8xjcO6vc-Z1f2-Ko1DOOaA_flWKm5U0pUXVmDSuZ4yZiuR-VKFLUhHdobMS2FIGHNhg98tWPLKTGOrIIQNMDZ3RBaF9dAu4-N2wXM/s1600/20651_296449789520_579044520_3218330_3501392_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAVeLRuBl65SCRV-s2jU-bc6r5iGSeXJceVcu0I8xjcO6vc-Z1f2-Ko1DOOaA_flWKm5U0pUXVmDSuZ4yZiuR-VKFLUhHdobMS2FIGHNhg98tWPLKTGOrIIQNMDZ3RBaF9dAu4-N2wXM/s400/20651_296449789520_579044520_3218330_3501392_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>what's your favorite thing about being a mama? how is your life different?</b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif; font-weight: normal;"> I think my favorite part of being a mama is when Oliver looks up at me with those big brown eyes and says the magic words :" I love you Mama." It's funny It feels sometimes like my life is the same but nothing is the same.</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif;">does alone time exist for you? how do you take care of yourself? what inspires you?</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif;"> During the school year I have lot's of alone time to do my projects and errands. I am very inspired by mom's who find the happy balance in life. My own parents were very supportive when I was a kid, even when I announced at the age of 7 that I wanted to be an actress like my older sisters. They always told me you could make anything happen. I think in order to be a terrific healthy mama today you need to have some projects or outlets that make you as an individual really happy. I think that is so important. We teach our kids to be creative individuals and if they aren't seeing you be one, well you get it. We decided to go with the motto: "one and done." Although I had a really easy pregnancy , Oliver chose not to sleep regular hours for the first two years of his life. He was like a little cute vampire sleeping during the day and not at night. So needless to say I was walking around like a zombie. Honestly, I love our decision. We went from having no kids to having the most beautiful loving boy. You can't beat that! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><b>do you ever think you will return to the workforce?</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: times, serif;">Hmm maybe I will go back to acting and star in Oliver's first film.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5gx4eA7A4rPGbUC9XUM0zTtqzXfmYA5T4Q1CTgyMr3-4Mju8XvrfcYg4MaMYN2KkaNnW1t7P8xmndSXgiPR_9zrcUN22K5Iw_JKxrU9gmSxJA5auzpPrqRV7tVhObYmdDezxaeddMi4/s1600/n579044520_1335178_962557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5gx4eA7A4rPGbUC9XUM0zTtqzXfmYA5T4Q1CTgyMr3-4Mju8XvrfcYg4MaMYN2KkaNnW1t7P8xmndSXgiPR_9zrcUN22K5Iw_JKxrU9gmSxJA5auzpPrqRV7tVhObYmdDezxaeddMi4/s400/n579044520_1335178_962557.jpg" width="395" /></a></div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-49219198192201692062011-09-26T10:12:00.000-07:002011-09-26T10:12:23.264-07:00and the band played on for diane...<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YL0Xq71aUSw" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;">a good friend of patty's lost her battle with <a href="http://ww5.komen.org/">breast cancer</a> this weekend. she was only 31. and while i didn't know diane very well, this loss seems especially profound...diane was such a sweet and caring soul. i always looked forward to her posts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lulubrooks">facebook</a>, as inevitably there were pictures of her in all her vintage fashion glory. she ran a <a href="http://www.zeldamag.com/">magazine about vintage fashion called zelda</a> and also threw <a href="http://dorothyparker.com/news/labels/Vintage.html">fabulous vintage parties called wit's end</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">we saw her last in march, when we were in new york for the<a href="http://pattydoc.com/"> hit so hard</a> premiere. she was in amazing spirits and health, and one would never know she was sick...i honestly thought she was in remission and had it "beat." i'm so grateful we made time to see her while we were in new york as she was a good friend to patty...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">my heart goes out to her boyfriend, friends and family...i especially can't imagine what her mother is going through now...<a href="http://getwellpablo.blogspot.com/">experiencing the loss of one's child</a>, whether six or thirty-one...i don't even have the words...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">with all the <a href="http://www.nbcam.org/">breast cancer awareness</a> and <a href="http://ww5.komen.org/">charities</a>, it just seems simply mind boggling that we lose such young and vivacious souls to this disease...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">so please send love & light diane's way and cherish your loved ones...</div>christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-61684226589024154682011-09-23T12:45:00.000-07:002011-09-23T12:45:27.178-07:00steady as she grows {one year}...a little late!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CGff4qVt72l4y0BJWaB2oTAYuiD8ArEQXpqicG4zzmq-Rvb_epnLZuKvFFrjfceaC6yR06NRcNIT-1Tl2Y7cM7VFa5UK0lbbosemtfYE2H6dVwK8aFv53-bZ884ZNXJbfM4Ta074rnY/s1600/P1020458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CGff4qVt72l4y0BJWaB2oTAYuiD8ArEQXpqicG4zzmq-Rvb_epnLZuKvFFrjfceaC6yR06NRcNIT-1Tl2Y7cM7VFa5UK0lbbosemtfYE2H6dVwK8aFv53-bZ884ZNXJbfM4Ta074rnY/s400/P1020458.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjGb9Nv3OhgGpC5reXfio5XUiW9rdEljSpkoYfT1Ye81jR9o-Ng5WusLZqrzSGegjgz0zuD4h25ambGM-zVbtnNPj-MzDOkp_ydIyg7L7NGOSkaW-icPYtvO-zOaIwgPb_CZNUE1Iqgc/s1600/P1020468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjGb9Nv3OhgGpC5reXfio5XUiW9rdEljSpkoYfT1Ye81jR9o-Ng5WusLZqrzSGegjgz0zuD4h25ambGM-zVbtnNPj-MzDOkp_ydIyg7L7NGOSkaW-icPYtvO-zOaIwgPb_CZNUE1Iqgc/s640/P1020468.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHdqkqIUmxYe7IeXDYRfMDCA0oxRjcV4x5LnxYRhN2ReBUprWLThx1FHo5DpDCCSgXjsnl5orbZrp5zzkPpbV_yLfle_MzqtpsLI-QOWxcmVcXUcfFqXv-5r5FDiFLzWnRW6kzvEocGU/s1600/P1020469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHdqkqIUmxYe7IeXDYRfMDCA0oxRjcV4x5LnxYRhN2ReBUprWLThx1FHo5DpDCCSgXjsnl5orbZrp5zzkPpbV_yLfle_MzqtpsLI-QOWxcmVcXUcfFqXv-5r5FDiFLzWnRW6kzvEocGU/s640/P1020469.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>so this post is about a week late...beatrice turned one year on sept thirteenth...we had a picnic birthday party for her in the park at the silver lake rec center...lots of her little friends came and my aunt, who is a children's librarian read stories & lead us all in rhymes and songs. we made cute bee puppets as party favors and i made her a bee birthday crown...it was a really sweet day!<br />
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beatrice is really coming into her own...she is walking, babbling and developing her own preferences. she's picked up a few signs: milk, dog, more and all done. she definitely has a sweet tooth like her mama...those crumbs you see on one of the pictures are from the banana muffin "cupcakes" i made for her party. she still hasn't had any sugar other than fruit and molasses {iron rich!}...so those muffins were sweetened with molasses, applesauce and bananas, all of which she loves. fruit is definitely her favorite...i'm working on making sure she gets the vitamins she needs from her food and making lots of things like small balls out of sweet potatoes with veggies and other goodies inside. she loves to hold them and eat them herself. she doesn't like me feeding her, but isn't quite able to feed herself with a spoon or fork, so the little balls she can hold work great. {i'll post some recipes soon.}<br />
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she is fast...she loves running about and exploring! she's also getting more cuddly and likes to sit in our laps for a book. but not for long, she's off and running after a few pages usually! she loves music and has started dancing! she also loves going to drum and music circles...she loves shoes {yeah, like mother like daughter} and often insists on putting her shoes on when she's playing at home. her laugh is contagious and she is quick to smile, flashing her two teeth on top and two teeth on the bottom. she's very social and at play groups rarely looks for mama...she is off and exploring and socializing!<br />
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now...the big reason for the delay in posting: i went back to work. i while back, <a href="http://steadyhappy.blogspot.com/2011/01/work-at-home-stay-at-home-workingmom.html">i posted about staying home with beatrice and my struggle with that.</a> again, i chose to stay home with beatrice, and to me feminism is all about choice. unfortunately, going back to work wasn't entirely by choice...it was definitely out of financial necessity. now, here's to say there aren't many positives to going back to work. my main concern was beatrice, obviously. since we try to adhere to the <a href="http://www.attachmentparenting.org/">attachment parenting</a> {ap}philosophy, i really thought it was important that her main caregiver was one of her parents. i know that ap is possible with a working parent, but i felt very strongly about having a parent with her at least until she goes to pre-school. so we decided to swap: i'm going back to work and patty is staying at home with beatrice. <br />
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this was a huge struggle for me. i mean, i *live* for being a mom. i love staying home with her, taking her to play dates, cooking for her, washing her diapers, all of it. so the thought of going back to work and leaving her for a significant part of the day was heart wrenching. on top of it, i'm still breastfeeding. obviously, since she's one, it's not her main source of nutrition, but she loves it...and i do, too. so i'm working out a schedule where i can work from home a few days a week, and on the days i go to the office, patty brings bea out during the day so we can have a mid-day nursing session. thankfully where a work is a beautiful ranch in the santa monica mountains {even though it's a long drive}, it's a nice place for beatrice to play and frolic among the wildlife...<br />
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here's the one thing that made this decision easier: patty wanted to stay home with beatrice and have a chance to bond with her. only good things can come from that! she can go to all the parenting classes that i got to go to, she can meet beatrice's play mates, she can learn to wear beatrice on her back and take her on walks, she can bond with beatrice and she can see what being a stay-at-home mom is all about. a friend said to me: "you are demonstrating to beatrice that your relationship is a true partnership and cooperative family." i love that idea that because we are both primary care-givers, beatrice will understand the idea of cooperation and partnership.<br />
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so...it's still hard...only been a week...and there are definitely going to be hiccups! but just these few days have taught me to focus on the positive and let go and let things happen the way they are meant to happen...beatrice will be fine...she'll be better than fine, in fact, because she is loved. we are providing her with <a href="http://www.attachmentparenting.org/principles/care.php">consistent and loving care</a> and maximizing the her bond with both her parents.christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545284747091405942.post-21317474826096948812011-08-30T21:32:00.000-07:002011-08-30T21:32:37.699-07:00happy three year wedding anniversary...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqVyZNIvM-6F3vBrgqjsTd6TXzMqfUXMSEKiQgam7h2EKrm3pAQkVTHpX_zpcTaogp0McuqYrzyO0SsqJvtiLYWwfQ91N8nkwWxOIvuNv38hDi0uLSSBLb2n5pILcUA_8VHzd2q9Wq6E/s1600/378440285_9505-429-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqVyZNIvM-6F3vBrgqjsTd6TXzMqfUXMSEKiQgam7h2EKrm3pAQkVTHpX_zpcTaogp0McuqYrzyO0SsqJvtiLYWwfQ91N8nkwWxOIvuNv38hDi0uLSSBLb2n5pILcUA_8VHzd2q9Wq6E/s400/378440285_9505-429-5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>it's today...and yes, i'm posting at 9:30pm at night, but it's the first time i've been able to sit at the computer for a while! <br />
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<a href="http://www.snippetandink.com/real-wedding-christina-patty.html/">i can't believe we got married three years ago</a>! it seems like a lifetime ago {in a good way}! whether legal or not, i want beatrice to know that her parents are married, that they love and respect each other...and are committed to each other in sickness and health...we take care of ourselves and each other so we can better take care of her...<br />
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happy anniversary, patty...here's to many more...christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17780331196723830632noreply@blogger.com6