I have the best job. I get to play in parks with kids. Today was great.

mom and daughter in the park

Until tomorrow – A

This is something I’m sharing from a site that I found and of course, I subscribed to the email feed from it. I get a lot of email junk mail but usually it is stuff that I want to get. I’m strange like that. I think of it as market research. It used to drive my husband batty when we shared an email … now that it’s sequestered into my own account what he doesn’t know doesn’t bother him. So this is from Working Mom Lifeline.

Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.
–Unknown

Now….this is good. How many times have you given yourself permission for “ME TIME?” How many times have you planned or scheduled in time just for yourself? And how many times has someone else schedule it in for you?

The truth is that you need to make yourself a priority. Period. Just like your kids and family are priorities, just like your job (and the accompanying paycheck) is a priority, so too much YOU be a priority.

And believe us, waiting around for someone else, even the most loving spouse or  significant other in the world, to do it for you is a surefire recipe for, well, not making yourself a priority.

Keep it simple and stay consistent. Grab small chunks of time here and there. Go to a coffee place for half an hour and read your favorite magazine or the book that’s had the same bookmark on page 82 for years now. Just grab it when and where you can and constantly remind yourself that grabbing it is your priority.

Now…isn’t that better?

You can find them here.

Until tomorrow – A

I have to say that I am very lucky to meet a lot of excellent and adorable babies. This little guy was no exception. He is so gentle and happy and relaxed. He was on his belly the whole time and all smiles.

Baby J

Until tomorrow – A

Remember how on Tuesday morning we had the firs rainstorm in about 6 months. Well , of course, this family was scheduled to have a beautiful session in their neighborhood park. Luckily for my they are totally awesome and we did a little mini session inside.

Here’s the preview of these cutie pies. They’ll be more later after we complete the outdoor part of the session.

More later – A

This weekend we were doing the Stone family car shuffle. It all started with a new car coming home on Wednesday – that’s always fun. But don’t get too excited this is a very non-exciting car because we have an up and coming teenage driver — AACK!

Here’s the sentimental part of the story. Now we’re turning in the “w.” That’s our family nickname for the car we ended up with when my dad passed away. The lease is up and it needed to go through it’s final check or something at the dealership. Some of you already know that my dad died from heart disease almost 3 years ago. It wasn’t unexpected and in fact this car was one of his fun things he did because he knew that his days could be numbered. I remember when he called and asked if I thought it was a good idea to splurge for the car and I said — yes, absolutely if you think it will bring you joy. It did. He tracked it as it came accross the ocean on the boat and he obsessed about every detail in the car. He filled the tires with nitrogen which was a running joke with my brother. He became a hot item in the senior community where he lived with one nice lady even knocking on his door and asking if that was his convertible parked in the lot and would he call her friend (he didn’t – he was shy). He also forced my sister-in-law to ride with the top down all the way to the keys which was not so much fun for her. Turning in this car is about the last step in closing out his estate (with the obvious exception of the fact that we still have his apartment but that’s a non-starter at the moment). So, it’s a bittersweet moment. It was honestly about the least practical car we could possibly have since we have 2 kids in car seats at the moment. Although it did make good jokes when my husband and I would go out on a date and then we’d put the top down in our little roadster and there were the oh so cool car seats. Lots of smiles at the valet stand, for sure. But it did make for excellent peacock hunting on the way to preschool since we could put the top down. So, while I’m sorry to see it go — it’s time. Goodbye “w.” In the words of my late dad, “overboard!”

Here are my kids playing in the backseat after the car seats were out. My plan was to take a picture of us the ultra coolies in the convertible with the kids in the back but … my hubby was too quick for me.

Kids playing in the car

On the up side – I did get to drive the loaner over the weekend. That was awesome. New cars are great – new Bmw’s are particularly spectacular, in my opinion. We had the loaner because the family truckster made it’s third trip to have the air conditioning fixed. I’m hoping this one sticks. I’m not complaining because it’s the only repair the car has ever really had but it is a bit much that it has taken three tries.

Here’s the cute part of the message. With all this confusion and car swapping going on we didn’t get to pick up the truck until Sunday afternoon. When we pull up in the shiny new car it was as if my children during their 2 day separation from the truck had been cut off from some life source how excited they were to see the big blue family mobile. I mean this truck is more like a goldfish crumb storage unit crossed with a movie theater than a car at this point. It’s been on one too many cross country drives to really ever come clean.  And still, my daughter jumped out of the car against the protests of my husband and dashed to my side. My son (who has the disadvantage of still being in the 5 point gizmo he cannot undo himself) was in tears that he couldn’t get into the old car until his father let him hold his lemonade – which seemed to make him forget what he was unhappy about. Nice save I thought on my husband’s part. All this fuss for a whopping 3 minute ride home. It just goes to show you that new and clean just might not be better than older and comfy.

And that was my weekend. Until tomorrow – A

Yesterday I saw an article in the Miami Herald that was actually about recipes that can use the food you have in your pantry. I only read the beginning but the author mentioned that her mom had told her when she was young to always make sure to buy her clothes as full outfits otherwise you would be wasting money on something that would hang unused in your closet. That struck a familiar chord with me because my own mother gave me the same sage advice. I don’t always follow it but she shared it nonetheless. But it got me thinking about what things our mothers tell us that stick with us over the years. My favorite expression that my mother used to use was, “that makes me so mad I could just spit!” Even as a kid I thought, really, does anybody spit when they are mad? I know I don’t. Oh well, what are mom’s for if not sharing words of wisdom with our kids. I can’t imagine what things I say that my kids will remember.

Today’s image is from my morning on the beach. It was breezy so my little bubba here got a little unhappy which is really unlike him. He is sooooo calm as a baby. But he was happier when we got out of the wind I will say. Here is a tender moment with mom hiding from the wind and then later sharing his totally rad shades with me.

Until tomorrow – A

So, today I made a typo in my facebook status. oops. Seems like I should be able to update those 10 or so words without a typo but nope. So, instead I’ve declared my self queen of typos.

Speaking of facebook – if you’re bouncing around fb looking for something to do you can become a fan of Jady Images. I know it’s what you’ve always wanted to do.

Today I’m thinking about Cuba. I am not Cuban so I don’t have official opinions about anything but recently when we were in the airport going to Minnesota we walked by not just one but 2 flights leaving from Miami to Cuba. That was kind of cool because it’s not something I’d ever seen before.

So today’s photo is one is not one from today because I spent all morning screening assistant applicants. Did you know we’re hiring? Now you do. Instead this image is one I took a few weeks ago when I was off confering at a conference with other photographers and learning how to be even more of a rockstar than I already am

Until tomorrow – A

Here’s the story: I was inspired by another photographer to do something with feathers. To give credit where credit is due her name is Sarah Petty and she doesn’t know me but I saw a session of hers on a video where she let a kid cut open a feather pillow and I loved it. I don’t happen to have any feather pillows (allergic hubby) and I thought some color would be nice. So I hopped online and ordered what I thought was a lot of feathers. When they arrived I put said feathers into pillowcases and marveled at how few they were. But once I get an idea it’s hard to deter me.

Then I sprung this idea on some very easy going and happy kids  at the end of a session. While it didn’t unfold *exactly* as I thought it would it was a lot of fun. I had thought that the feathers would float up in the air and that the kids would be all together underneath this perfect canopy of rainbow feathers. Ahem – nope. The feathers came out and went plop on the ground and the kids spread out to the furthest corners of the area. Did I mention that it made an GIGANTIC MESS – that wasn’t unexpected actually. I spent about an hour picking feathers out of the grass but I still think I didn’t make any friends in the parks department that day. The feathers were surprisingly hard to pick up. If I repeat this I have to remember to bring a rake and about 10 times as many feathers.

But I do think that the kids had a great time with the whole thing. It was a fun morning for me and I love to try new things.

More later – A

This is a preview for the bride and groom (and anyone else who wants to peek).

It’s an interesting story because I’ve known this groom for years and years. But I just met his bride who is an amazing woman.

They recently tied the knot on one of my favorite beaches. For the occasion I lugged my trusty little red bench out onto the beach. Let me tell you I looked silly. But you know me — anything to get a great image.

Congratulations (of course) to the newly wedded couple.

Until tomorrow – A

I’ve been gone … my avid blog followers may have noticed that there was a dip in posts. I always think I’ll be able to keep up on the posting while I’m gone and yet … it gets away from me. Strangely the same thing happens with my working out on my own … the best of intentions and then it gets away from me. Ahhh … maybe it’s me — no, couldn’t be.

So, where was I? Well first I went to a photography conference over on the west coast. That was great. I met some cool folks, learned some new tricks, laughed until I almost pee’d at a pirate. Saw in person that a 4×6 softbox is in fact much bigger than I am (duh!).

Then I did a rapid turnaround – and was off with the family to Minnesota where I visited with my brother and met his new baby. It actually snowed our second day there. It was a HUGE HIT with my sun babies. They sledded down the hill in the back yard and we had a jolly old time. It was a great trip. After 4 days in Minnesota my entire body was lacking in moisture – we all had chapped lips and statically charged hair which is always funny. There are no images unfortunately from  that trip because even though I take a camera everywhere I have not found a way to take all of my luggage and everything without being really grumpy. So, I traveled light with only the flip. If I can figure out how to post a video I’ll put it up because my neice and nephew are really cute.

Now – it’s back to work. Hmmm…where is the to do list.

A