March 30, 2014 by Stephanie

Something We Have Been Waiting For

I am announcing for real this time. We are ecstatic to share our news with you!

Our house will grow to 3 boys and 2 girls!

We couldn’t get them to stop drooling on the chalkboards.

So it turns out that many of the old wives tales are wrong, at least in my case. I guess our little guy is already stubborn.

Grace apparently is not excited about being outnumbered.

We are excited to move forward with planning for our little boy!

We have settled on a name which we will be sharing at a later date.

It is so nice not to call him “it” anymore!

Now enjoy some of our out-takes of our doggy photo session.

Grace was not happy about the chalkboard. She kept falling over like she was drunk.

Of course we have to bribe them with treats to sit still.

March 26, 2014 by Stephanie

Homemade Photo Backdrop

I love looking for new unique ideas to infuse into my photography.

One of those ways is with backdrops.

I like simple and classic backdrops that aren’t going to distract from the subject, but instead add to it subtly.

I saw something like this on Pinterest, and Tom and I were sure we could make it.

We got lumber and the laminate at Lowes. We got a great deal on the laminate, and we were able to get the look exactly like I wanted.

I thought I got pictures of the building process, but I can’t seem to find them.

We built a frame with basic 2X4s first. We wanted it to be fairly sturdy.

We got the interlocking flooring. Once pieced together, we secured it to the base.

The back and bottom are two separate pieces. Tom made it so it can come apart for easy storing.

There are two like this on the back. You just lift the screw up and you can take the two apart.

I really do like the sturdiness of this, but it can be a little bulky. I want to start looking for other vinyl flooring or paper that I could roll up. There is some great durable and thick fabric I have seen but it’s fairly pricey. This set up was really cheap to make since we found a lot of it on sale.

Here is some of my work with this backdrop.

Baby 4

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I was able to fit a family of four on it to do some indoor shots, but I will mostly use it for kids. I really want to focus eventually on infant/child photography and the size is perfect for that.

March 25, 2014 by Stephanie

What Are You Having?

I am having a baby. Duh…

This is one of the most common questions behind “How are you feeling?”

First of all, sex and gender are two different things. Sex has to do with anatomy, gender has to do with the person’s decision of how they would like to be identified. Sex is biology, whereas gender is more focused on cultural norms and identity. Or at least this is how I have interpreted it; society seems to think differently than I do with all these “gender reveal parties.”

So yesterday we found out the sex of Baby W.

I successfully didn’t open the envelope before I got home to open it with Tom. This was an intense couple hours of waiting!

We wanted to find out for a few reasons. Finding out for us, makes the baby more real. We are still in a state of shock most days that this baby is actually happening. We could put a name to our ninja baby, instead of calling by “it” or various pet names. Finding out for us means that we can connect more to this little nugget. We aren’t really changing how we plan and what we buy for the baby since we are staying pretty neutral. But knowing something about our baby, allows us to come together more as a family. It may sound weird, but it was what worked for us. I know many people who are surprised during labor, and that works for them. I think this is a decision that is up to each couple, and we should respect why they decide to find out or not. As long as they are going to love that child no matter the outcome!

Plus finding out ends our name debate. We can finally focus on what we are going to call this little human. This is the hardest thing for Tom and I! (This topic is a post for another day.)

You will have to come back this Sunday for the big reveal on Baby W.

I know I am cruel.

I thought it would be fun to see how accurate some old wives tales are on predicting the sex of babies. (I stole this idea from Alex at Munchkins and the Military.)

I got these from this site. Some of them were kind of odd, so I didn’t use all of them.

Rumor has it that if you are carrying your baby high, it’s a girl. Carrying low? Stock up on blue. Similar tales say if you carry in front, you’ve got yourself a little boy, and if you expand horizontally, it’s a girl. I can’t really tell on this one. I have only filled out in front a little, so I am going to say BOY.
Legends say that if you are having a little girl, she’ll steal your beauty. So, if you’ve got acne and other not-so-pretty skin blemishes, you’ve got a little princess coming your way. Dry hands and cold feet are signs of a boy. So, if you’ve got these ailments, break out the baby blue. I have had acne really bad for me, and no changes in my hands or feet. GIRL.
Your baby’s heart rate might be an indicator of its gender. If your little one’s heart rate is under 140 beats per minute, you’re having a little boy. If it’s over, get ready for your little girl! The heartbeat has been in the 170s until yesterday when it was 156. GIRL.
Craving sweets? According to some, that means your going to have a little girl. Salty and sour cravings indicate a boy. I have really only craved meat and peanut butter. I guess the peanut butter puts me on the side of BOY.
Chinese Predictor I have put it in by both conception date and due date, and they both come up GIRL.
The Mayans used a similar method. They looked at your age at conception and the year your baby was conceived. If both are even or odd, it’s a girl. If one is even and one is odd, oh baby — it’s a boy! At conception both Tom and I were 28, and it was 2013. BOY.
Morning sickness means pink. If you’re stricken with a queasy stomach during your first trimester, think ribbons and bows. If you sail through your pregnancy with nary an upset stomach, it’s blue all the way. As you all know, I have been so sick. GIRL.

So according to all of these “predictors” we are having a girl. Wouldn’t you like to know if it is correct?! Come back Sunday to see which of these are right!

What do you think we are having? (Family and friends who already know keep quiet!)

March 24, 2014 by Stephanie

Talks with Tom #21

We went to Noodles and Company yesterday. This particular location has only one way to get in, but it is really obnoxious and through a busy thoroughfare. There is an exit only lane that is much easier to access, and each time we go there I think I am making a quick entry by using this lane. And each time I have this “Oh shoot” hesitation as I go through the “Do Not Enter” lane.

This was Tom’s response when I panicked that I was going the wrong way.

Tom-What is Noodles and Company going to do? Write you a spaghetti ticket?

We also had a conversation about arcade games that we want in our future game room.

Tom-I really want the original Ninja Turtle arcade game.

Me-Did you hear they are making a new movie?

Tom-Yes, Megan Fox is going to be April.

Me-Oh really? I didn’t know that.

Tom-Were you seriously trying to dump Ninja Turtle news on me? I am a member of very Ninja Turtle fan page. Seriously.

I learn something about Tom every day.

Yes we have matching Ninja Turtle shirts in our wedding colors. Be jealous.

March 21, 2014 by Stephanie

Friday Filter: Dancing With the Stars Recap

Holy Moly! This week’s episode was one of the best premiere’s I have seen.

The new contestants are phenomenal!

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image via

The only one who was not pictured here is Amy Purdy, and that is because she was performing in the ParaOlympics at the time.

Even on just the first night, the bar has been set pretty high on quality, enthusiasm, and competition.

My current favorites are obviously DJ Tanner and Winnie Cooper (I mean Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar). I also am loving Amy Purdy, Merle Davis, and Charlie White hot off their Olympic wins. My unknown favorite is James Maslow (what a cutie). Plus I am loving the dynamic between him and Peeta.

I love this show for two reasons:

1. I love dance. This is mainly about ballroom which fascinates me.

2. It shows how real these famous people are. You know I love a good story.

I already cried on the first episode. I can’t blame it on pregnancy hormones. I would have cried at Amy Purdy’s dance regardless. Speechless. Secretly, I am so glad she was paired with my love from another life, Derek.

I know the fan page blew up with the announcement of Erin Andrews co-hosting with disgust. I honestly thought she killed it. I think she has a knack for announcing and just really enjoyed her.

I am not sure how I feel about switching partners. I think that is one of the great dynamics of the show is seeing how they bond and grow as a partnership. We shall see how this new format of switching partners goes though.

I am one of those nerds who uses two email accounts and their Facebook to vote. I feel better about it especially in the beginning, because I can divvy up my votes with more people. I mean I have 6 favorites. Who does that!

We’ll see if they stay the same throughout the season.

In other TV news (spoiler alert ahead), did you see this week’s episode of Pretty Little Liars? Some answers were given, but SOOOO many questions arose too! I can’t believe I have to wait until June. However, I am glad we were able to see that Ezra is not A, but it would be nice to know if he is ALIVE!

Do you watch Dancing with the Stars? Who is your favorite? Would you vote?