it is about this time of year, i begin contemplating our christmas mailers, and yes, i like to call them mailers (in fact, i like to say christmas mailers in a british accent). “cards” is just cheap. “mailers” seems very proper…very traditional…very louisa may alcottish, and i like to address the entire process of christmas mailers much like the fashion i presume louisa may alcott would have it done in one of her books.

whilst i don’t wear a bonnet and petticoat when addressing my mailers, i do make sure a fire is lit before i set about the task. i devote an entire night to the ceremony, have a wonderful life or miracle on 34th street playing, and i most certainly don’t use pre-printed labels. i handwrite each address with a calligraphy pen. i wear christmas pajamas and sip hot chocolate and savor licking every envelope. it’s a ritual i look forward to every year.

so, it is about this time i start designing our card in my mind, choosing the stamp, searching for quality envelopes. debating dreaded family letter or no dreaded family letter? glossy or matte? black & white photo or color? ribbons & bobbles or keep-it-simple. vintage or modern? and, while many pity my obsessive decision making, i rather enjoy it.

time is ticking, and with all that said…

christmas sessions have begun with two of my favorite models…

book yours today.

…enjoying the premature excitement things. ~k

…and yes, that’s christmas music…in october. tell me that makes you even the slightest bit excited.

today was a really good day.
a day where i was completely present.
a day where i felt myself relax and just be.
i didn’t think about the next thing we were going to do.
i didn’t think about tomorrow.
i just breathed in the moment. because it won’t last for long.

lily stayed with her daddy today, so we had a surprise day…just me & my girl.

my first thought was laundry. paint the baseboards in the bathroom. edit photos.

but…no.

today, i was going to be 100% there.

we started with bagels at panera. we talked about life…her & i. like how much i loved her.

then lunch with her grandpa & donna nana where i humbly took in a small fraction of my f.i.l.’s knowledge on the economy…but mainly just marveled at how smart he is.

i thought about going home for a nap.

but…no.

i wasn’t done enjoying my time with her.

so, we went to the bookstore. she napped in her stroller while i leafed through children’s books, rifling through the glossy, colorful new releases in search of the good stuff…the old stuff.

…and our collection grows, one beautiful book at a time:

then it was to the beach…one we never go to…far on the other side of town because it felt like our little secret place today.

i let her run, shirtless and rolled-up jeans. i just followed her…laid in the grass and smiled at her wonderment and happiness with simplicity.

she discovered her shadow today…

…and, upon close examination of it, decided that she’s terrified of it…

a little sand brush-off and a boardwalk sliver-removal later, we landed at the dairy queen downtown. the old a-frame building welcomed us with its creamy twist cone and hot fudge sundae.

after realizing i had an entire pack of pampers clean n’ wipes in my car, i let her have at it. i didn’t rush her or worry about her ever-dripping cone. i let her enjoy it…every sticky clump of soggy cone that fell into her lap and all.

“…you must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” ~henry david thoreau

we messed up our naps today. we didn’t get a lot done. …but i wouldn’t have had it any other way.

…enjoying the this moment things. ~k

our neighborhood which, for the record, is not in Kansas, held its annual halloween children’s shindig today.

…beginning with a parade where littles marched up and down the streets showing off their costumes.
yes, lainey may have been slightly young to really know what it was all about, but we have no problem admitting we shamelessly do this for our own amusement…and the pictures…and the memories.

we started off with latte as our prop toto, but she was barking at all the costumes and spazzing out, so we had to run back and get the back-up toto.

ha…she’s completely unaware in the above pic that there were like three freaky star wars guys looming behind her.

…and we skipped the after party for a nap…because well…there’s no place like home.

…enjoying the dressing-up-is-fun things. ~k