Maternity Series #2: 18 Weeks

I've been spending a lot of time in this crazy position lately. Why, you ask? Here's the thing... your sister took two and a half days to make her grand entrance into this world, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure you come out a whole lot faster. I'm going to yoga and my chiropractor every week and doing my prescribed stretches every day in an effort to have the most open hips of all time by D-day. Will it work? No idea. But it can't hurt. Well, okay, clearly it hurts a little. But hopefully it'll all be worth it!

Maternity Series #2: 17 Weeks

I'm sorry if you've been feeling how stressed I've been this week. You'll find out some day when you're a parent that you'll spend a lot of time worrying about your kids. I worry about your big sister, who's been struggling to adjust to some unexpected staffing changes at school. I worry about you and you're probably the safest and most protected you'll ever be in your life right now. Worrying just comes with the territory when you're a parent. But, if there's one thing I've learned in my short time as a mother it's that there's a whole heap of stuff I have absolutely zero control over. So I try to focus on what I can control... I can't promise that I'll always be able to protect you from life's hardships, but I can promise I will do my best to make sure the smiles and the giggles far outweigh the tears - and that when the tears do fall, I'll always be there to hold your hand and dry your eyes.

LETTERS TO MY DAUGHTER: APRIL

My sweet girl... this photo is very emotional for me because it depicts a time of great transition in our journey as mother and child. After nearly 22 months of nursing, you are officially (finally) weaned. I honestly never intended to or thought I would nurse you this long. You just never lost interest, and once I didn't have to pump anymore it wasn't really much effort on my part to let you keep going. You would wake up and do your little sign and look up at me with those beautiful blue eyes saying "melk!"... a mother is pretty defenseless to that kind of cuteness. But a month or so ago you started showing small signs of indifference, so when I went away on a business trip we decided that would be it.

Even though I was as ready as I could be, it was still bittersweet once I knew I was nursing you for the last time. You were my baby. You were my first. We've been on this crazy journey together, learning together... and there were many moments during those early days when I wasn't sure I'd ever get the hang of nursing, much less be able to nurse you until you were almost 2. But we figured it out, and it ended up being one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences of my life.

Our last nursing session came and went, and we moved on to a new phase in our relationship. One where I feel much more like the mother of a young girl than the mother of a baby. You still ask for milk almost every day, but you're perfectly fine with my saying "no." We replaced our pre-bed nursing time with rocking and singing in the chair in your room. (This photo was taken during one of those times.) We sing the same three songs every time: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley, "Golden Slumbers" by The Beatles, and "Murder in the City" by The Avett Brothers. Some nights you even sing along, which is pretty much the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life. Mostly I'm just glad that we still get our special time together. You're growing up so fast, and before I know it you'll outgrow wanting to be rocked before bed. So I'm treasuring what I can get.

I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Davina's blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!

MATERNITY SERIES #2: 16 Weeks

You've been growing up a storm these past few weeks... so much so that I can't button my pants anymore! And I promise that's not just due to my increased ice cream intake. I'm starting to feel you move around a bit and I so love those unexpected little thumps in my tummy. It's only a matter of time before those kicks become an hourly occurrence, and I can't wait. We love you so much already.

the right place at the right time

There's this elusive moment as a photographer when you click the shutter and  you just know you got a really great capture. The formula goes a little something like this: great light + real emotion + interesting composition = stellar photo. Obviously, there's a bit more that goes into it like nailing focus and exposure that I don't mean to gloss over, but assuming you have the technical stuff down, the above equation is what you're hoping for every single time you pick up the camera. And as someone who's still relatively new to photography, it doesn't happen nearly as often as I'd like. BUT, thanks to a lot of studying, practice, and the amazing workshops I've taken through Clickin Moms, it's happening more frequently these days. One such moment happened a few weeks ago when Emma and I were hanging out at my mom's house. I was trying to get some backlit shots for a workshop assignment while my mom and Emma were reading together when I noticed this amazing reflection in my mom's coffee table. I clicked the shutter and I just knew...

The other recent favorite shot happened this weekend when we were walking back to the car after dinner at Alexander's. (Side note - the BEST fried chicken I've ever had anywhere. If you live in the DC area, it's worth the drive.) Sometimes you're just standing there and you see the photograph come together first with your eyes and then you pray you have your camera within arm's reach. Luckily, I did.

While I wish those pesky cars weren't there (I know, how dare there be cars in a parking lot?!?), I love everything else about this... the sun flare, the rim lighting, the way they're walking in step together, the juxtaposition of their size difference. Moments like this are why I started taking my camera with me pretty much every time I leave the house, because you just never know...

On a side note, are you guys at all curious to see before and afters of some of these photos I've been posting? I'm happy to share my editing process with you. Just let me know! :)

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: MATT MCCARTHY

And now for something completely different... Matt McCarthy is a brilliant comedian and gave what was probably the best best man speech in history at my and Jared's wedding. Jared and I still laugh about it over 3 years later. Anyway, Matt also happens to be pretty passionate about music and I knew he'd bring something different to this little feature. I love this list because it reminds me of late nights at the cabin when Matt has taken control of the iPod... I rarely recognize the songs, but they always fit.

Click here to listen to all the tracks!

1) Soft Serve by Soul Coughing... This is the best song I've ever heard. I don't know. It's simple, melancholy yet funky and you can wiggle your ass to it. I've never heard anything like it. And the lyrics set against that ambient keyboard and sampling in the background. It feels like heartache and the fuck-all of being young and full of confused excitement.

2) We've Got A Bigger Problem Now by Dead Kennedys... "Last call for alcohol. Last call for freedom of speech. Drink up! Happy hour is now enforced by law." This is a version of "California Über Alles" that DK did about Ronald Reagan. It's perfect Dead Kennedys. It's funny, creepy, schmoozie, full of rage and political dissent. At the peak of the song Jello Biafra screams, "Making money for president Reagan! And all the friends of president Reagan!" It's so honest and angry, I love it.

3) Orion by Metallica... For me, this is the song that lifts heavy metal up to the heights of great art. This was not noise. This was not your ordinary beer guzzling scumbag filth rock. This was an opus. It's the best song on their best record, no one could say otherwise.

4) Backs Turned Looking Down The Path by Warren Zevon... I love this song. No one can touch Zevon as a song writer in my opinion. He outdoes them all. This track is him at his best.

5) Mr. Bad Example by Warren Zevon... A lot of these should be Warren Zevon. These are the best lyrics I've ever heard. It's my favorite example of how good Zevon was at rhymes that had a bloody edge. I need to learn to play it on guitar, I love singing along to it.

6) Divided Sky by Phish... Phish is one of the biggest bands in the world and I still think they're underrated. This is the song. It's gorgeous. Trey Anastasio is a chinless ginger rock guitar god. Everyone should stop taking showers and follow Phish everywhere.

7) Dogs and Chaplains by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones... This is a version of "Drunks and Children" that shows up on the Bosstones' last really great record. It swings and slams and grabs you hard by the neck and makes you drink whiskey and tells you you're the best friend it's ever had in its life. I like it!

8) Captain Lou by New Rhythm & Blues Quartet... I should've only picked songs about pro wrestling. Man On The Moon, REM. Pencil Neck Geek, Fred Blassie. The Crusher by The Ramones. To name a few that all hail from parts unknown but Captain Lou and NRBQ is the best of them all. This song makes me smile. I've met a handful of people who know it and love it. If I ever heard it in public I'd shit my pants and jump on top of cars.

Be sure to follow Matt here.

Letters to My Daughter: March

My sweet girl, you are going to be a big sister! You have been very excited about the baby, and I know you’re going to be an amazing sister. You’ll be almost 2 and a half by the time your brother or sister arrives, so it’s doubtful you’ll ever remember what life was like without him or her. And while I know that life will only get better for us with the addition of this new little person, I want you to know how much I’ve cherished our time together as just us. I know the majority of my excitement about this baby is because you’ve shown me how wonderful being a mama truly is…

From the first moments I held you in my arms, I was filled with a love I never new possible. Your dad may have taught be how to be loved, but you my girl taught me how to give love… how to love someone so much you think your heart might explode every time you lay your eyes on her… the heartbreak you feel when she’s hurting and you can’t make it better… the joy you feel when she rolls over, takes her first steps, when her signs turn into words.

As you’ve grown, the bond we share has only grown stronger. I feel like we’ve been on this great journey together… from pregnancy, to navigating those first chaotic newborn months, to all the milestones of your first year, and now seeing you develop into (it’s hard for me to even say it) a little girl. It’s been tough at times, figuring out this whole parenting thing, but mostly it’s been a pure joy… and truly the greatest honor of my life.

And now I’m on a new journey… a journey that takes me from being the mom of one to being the mom of two. But I promise my journey with you doesn’t stop because of that. I will love you both the same, but uniquely. You will still be my little boo boo. You will still be the one who taught me what it really means to be a mother, and what an absolute gift it is.

I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Carrie’s blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!

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MATERNITY SERIES #2: Weeks 4 through 12

That’s right! Our little family is expanding. :) I’m thrilled to announce that Baby Shellaway #2 is due in early October. We’ve officially made it through the First Trimester and I, for one, am quite relieved. And it’s so nice to have our little secret out of the bag. (Although it was MUCH easier to hide this one since I work from home now!)

As you can see, I decided to start my maternity series a little earlier this time with a few photos during my First Trimester. (I’ll start the weekly photos with the letters once I hit 16 weeks, just like with Emma.) I also thought I’d switch things up for this series by doing the photos as lifestyle self portraits.

The photo above was taken right after we found out I was pregnant… the excitement on my face says it all. And then the morning sickness set in…

I wasn’t Kate Middleton sick or anything, and I wasn’t even as sick as I was with Emma… as long as I ate small amounts fairly often I felt somewhat okay. But the problem was nothing in my fridge looked appealing. And I was bone tired all day every day. So naturally, I decided that was a perfect time to potty train Emma. Seriously, do NOT potty train your toddler during your First Trimester. Epically terrible decision. Potty training requires immense amounts of patience and energy, neither of which I had in spades the past few months.

But, we made it… we made it through potty training, and we made it to 12 weeks. Emma is so excited to be a big sister. She points to my belly and says “baby!” and has become so interested in the baby doll in her classroom. She reads to it, gives it a bottle, and puts it to bed. And if she sees a baby sleeping anywhere – a book, real life, the box of wipes – she says, “shhhhh! Baby sleeping!” It’s quite endearing.

Thanks as always for your support! I’m so looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you. If you want to follow along with my maternity series, be sure to subscribe via RSS, email, or like my page on Facebook.

Emma and Elmo have a tea party

I'm currently taking yet another amazing Clickin Mom's class called "Lifestyle Photography with Kids" and thought I'd share one of my first assignments. I've been wanting to take this class ever since I first joined CM, and I'm pinching myself that not only did I get into this sold out session, but I'm taking it with a bunch of my photographer friends from my very first intro class. The idea behind lifestyle photography is to tell the story of people as they are, as opposed to posing them in a contrived setting. It's similar to documentary photography, but you have the freedom to control your environment a bit by moving things into good light and removing distractions. This style of photography works particularly well for small children as it's nearly impossible to get them to do anything except whatever it is they want to be doing at that moment, anyway. :) For my first story telling assignment, I decided to throw a little tea party for Emma and her BFF, Elmo. Notice how my idea of this tea party was a kettle, two cups, and a sugar bowl. Emma quickly had other ideas...

Within about 2 minutes all the cups, a pan, utensils, a yogurt container, and a balance ball pump had joined in on the fun. We only bring out the balance ball pump for our fanciest tea parties. ;)

"Drink your damn tea, Elmo!" :)

Uh oh, I think she poisoned Elmo.

I have sooo much shooting to do this weekend for the next assignment, but I'm really looking forward to it... so many fun new techniques to try out! Also, if you haven't gotten on the CM bandwagon, I can't recommend their classes more highly. This is my 3rd workshop in 7 months, and I have another one starting at the end of April. I might be addicted. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: KATHRYN BONORCHIS

In honor of her upcoming birthday, this month's Desert Island Discs are brought to you by my beautiful sister, Kathryn. Kathryn and I were latch-key kids and instead of doing our homework when we got home from school, we immediately threw on MTV's Top 20 Countdown, chowed down on frozen Ssips, and watched our favorite hair bands duke it out for #1. And while our tastes have digressed quite a bit since then, we'll always have Nikki Sixx playing the piano on "Home Sweet Home" and Slash's guitar solo on "November Rain." So without further adieu, here's her list...

Click here to listen to all the tracks!

1) Bad/40/Where the Streets Have No Name (live in Boston) by U2... I just could not decide between Bad or Where the Streets Have No Name. I love both. Solution? The live performance from Boston that includes both in one track. I have loved U2 for as long as I can remember, and their live performances are second to none.

2) Patience by Guns n Roses... I am pretty sure I have whistled along with Axl Rose (whom I intended to marry when I turned 16, during my lengthy love-of-guys-with-long-hair phase) over 100 times. I used to be notoriously IMpatient, and this song was a calming presence during some tumultuous childhood years.

3) Both Hands by Ani DiFranco... I remember exactly where I was and who I was with the first time I heard this song, and it was love at first listen. Who hasn’t been in a failing relationship but struggled to finally let go? “I am writing grafitti on your body / I am drawing the story of how hard we tried.”

4) All You Need is Love by The Beatles... So simple, so true, and so very appropriate for someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. I grew up listening to The Beatles with my dad and sister, and I have fond memories of being silly and singing their songs at the top of my lungs. If I’m going to be stuck on a desert island, I’ll need an uplifting and hopeful song that takes me back to happy kid moments. And at the end of the day, I really believe all we need is love. The rest can fall in line.

5) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd... I could have easily chosen 8 Pink Floyd songs I can’t live without, but this particular song is in my Top 3 of all-time favorites. I could be in the worst mood ever and this song will make things better. “How I wish, how I wish you were here / We’re just two lost souls / Swimming in a fish bowl / Year after year / Running over the same old ground / What have we found? / The same old fears / Wish you were here”

6) Feeling Good by Nina Simone... Oh how I adore Nina Simone. Total girl crush. This song is soulful, sexy, and would be the theme song of my desert island experience. From the opening line of “birds flying high” to the climactic end, this song is flawless.

7) Fix You by Coldplay... As with Pink Floyd, I could have easily chosen 8 Coldplay songs I can’t live without. But I chose “Fix You” because it’s the kind of song you want during hard times. It helped me get through 2009. “When the tears come streaming down your face / When you lose something you can’t replace / When you love someone but it goes to waste / Could it be worse? / Lights will guide you home / And ignite your bones / And I will try to fix you.” We all love, lose, and pick ourselves back up again. For me, this song is equal parts “cry your eyes out” and “hang in there, it’ll be okay.”

8) Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls... Because it’s fun. And it reminds me of college, which was the most fun, responsibility-free time in my adult life. I know this song by heart, pretend I can actually sing while singing it, and it puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it.

Thanks, Kat!! Happy Birthday! :)

comfort

A (BELATED) OSCAR RECAP

Aside from the telecast being SUPER long and a little heavy on the music and bad jokes (okay, so that's every Oscars telecast), I was pretty pleased with the winners and fashion this year. I thought Jessica Chastain was flawless - perfect hair, perfect makeup, and that dress! The fit was incredible. Kristen Stewart's tailor could stand to take a few notes. I thought K-Stew looked like a complete train wreck - even more than usual, which is saying something. It must be nice to get paid millions of dollars and still be able to look like a hungover mess any time you show up to a fancy event. Also, what was she even doing there? As my friend Ailsa said, "Kristen Stewart has no business being at any event purportedly rewarding good acting. No business!" Amen, sista. Anywho, my other favorite looks of the night were Naomi Watts, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jennifer Garner.

As for our menu... this is the second year in a row I've made an Oscar themed feast, and while my names were pretty weak this year, the food - thankfully - was not. We had (brace yourselves) Seth MacncheeseFarlane (using our go-to Alton Brown recipe), BroccoLincorn (which was basically just broccoli and corn... we needed a veggie that Emma would eat), and Life of Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies.

Obviously, the hand pies were the best part of the menu. The recipe was surprisingly easy to follow, despite my perpetual fears about making pie crust from scratch. I definitely recommend eating these warm, though... they were still good cooled, but they were heaven when they were just shy of piping hot.

How did you spend your Oscar night? I'd love to hear what you thought of the fashion!

Laura Beth Davidson Photography

Laura Beth is another photographer friend of mine, and I was thrilled when she asked me to design her logo because I LOVE her style: vintage, organic, and sophisticated. Her landscape work, in particular, is to die for. (In fact, you can purchase prints of some of her photos in her Etsy shop, The Happy Lab.) Check out her brand new logo and watermarks:

Thoughts on Oscar

It's Oscar weekend!!! I've mentioned before that the Oscars are one of my favorite nights of the year. I love it all... the dresses, the glamour, the cheesy jokes and heartfelt speeches. My husband has the Super Bowl, I have the Oscars. And I'm so excited that this year we were able to see all but one of the Best Picture nominees. It's so much more fun watching when you know what the heck everyone's talking about! I'll post a recap next week about all the Oscar themed food we make, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on each of the BP nominees...

Argo: This is my favorite kind of movie... smart, thought provoking, dramatic with just the right amount of humor. It was easily one of my favorite movies of the year, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wins. I do think that Ben Affleck got robbed on the Director nod. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to both act in and direct a movie. The boy's come a long way since Voyage of the Mimi! (Anyone else have to watch that in elementary school??)

Beasts of the Southern Wild: Holy water works, batman. This movie was so beautiful, so heartbreaking. I really can't believe that an 8 year old was capable of that kind of performance, just incredible. I'm a mess just thinking about this movie.

Django Unchained: This was a flat out fantastic movie. Yes it was hard to watch at times, yes I had to cover both my eyes and ears during certain parts, no it wasn't supposed to be 100% factual... but it made me think about race and slavery in a way only Tarantino could. This is a must-see, in my opinion.

Les Miserables: I'll start by saying that I've never seen the stage performance of Les Mis, but I've been obsessed with the soundtrack since I was a little girl so the music is very close to my heart. I thought this film was so gorgeous, complete visual eye candy, and the performances by Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were flawless. The only thing I didn't like about this version was Russell Crowe - he was a strange casting choice, and his singing left a lot to be desired. Otherwise, I really loved this film.

Life of Pi: I had no idea what to expect of this movie as I hadn't read the book and wasn't familiar with the story, so I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Ang Lee can do no wrong, and this movie was no exception. His visual execution really captured the emotion and intensity and magic of the story. Another favorite of movie of the year for me.

Lincoln: If Daniel Day Lewis doesn't win the Oscar for his performance in the movie it will be an outrage. It was a master class in acting, and I truly can't imagine anyone else having even come close to the caliber of his performance. As far as historical biopics, this was about what you'd expect from Spielberg, and I don't mean that in a bad way - just that it's great but predictable. I don't know if it should win Best Picture, but it's definitely worth seeing.

Silver Linings Playbook: I'll be honest, I don't know why this movie was nominated. It's a good movie, don't get me wrong, but I watched it after the nominations were announced and my expectations were pretty high. I actually think I would have liked this movie a lot more if it hadn't been nominated, if that makes sense. I applaud the academy for trying to acknowledge a less traditional film, but I'm just not sure what all the hype is about with this one. Sorry.

Zero Dark Thirty: I loved this movie right up until they brought in the Navy Seals. I have no idea what the actual Seal team was like that carried out this mission, but I have a hard time buying that they were all a bunch of stereotypical meatheads ready to shoot 'em up fer America. Other than that, I thought this was a very well told and important movie, and I think Jessica Chastain's performance was fantastic. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses.

Amore: Didn't see this one. Sorry!

So that's that! I'm pulling for Argo to take home the big one. Who do you think will be the big winners?

PS... I'm a big fan of these Oscar bingo cards. They help you stay interested during the more boring award categories. Seriously, though, why do those guys always have the longest speeches?

Letters to My Daughter: February

Oh my little love. You and I sure have been through the ringer the past few days... it's probably the toughest we've had it since you were a newborn, and I think it's safe to say that we both seriously hate potty training. But you, my girl, are doing it and I'm so very proud of you. You got it right away, and now you're struggling a bit with actually wanting to do it. This is totally new and scary and it must feel like all we've talked about for the past 4 days is going on the potty. You want your diaper back. I get it.

I'm sorry that I'm not as patient with all this as I hoped I'd be. I'm sorry that I can't just hold you and make this all better. I'm sorry that Elmo has been exactly zero help. You're working so hard and all I want is to make this easier for you. But in typical Emma fashion, you will insist on doing this your own way and in your own time. It's something that I both admire about you and that really drives me bananas. But I know we'll get through this, you and me. Maybe not tomorrow (though I'd totally be okay with that), maybe not this week (yep, still totally okay with that too), but eventually. I promise.

I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Allyson's blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!

P52: Week 6

This week's theme was texture, and I found myself very struck by the topography of this plaque when we were in Memorial Hall at the Naval Acadamy last weekend. I desperately wanted to run my fingers across it, but I thought that might be just a smidge disrespectful (something about being at the USNA made me feel like I needed to be on my best behavior) so I'll settle for having this photo.

BUGS, BIRTHDAYS, AND BALSAMIC

How's that for a post title? This past weekend was Jared's birthday weekend and we were supposed to go to the cabin for a long weekend. That is until Emma came down with a nasty stomach bug at school on Thursday and was a total heartbreakingly sick mess the rest of the day. Our friends that were meeting us at the cabin also have little ones, and everyone agreed that it was too risky to have us all cooped up in a cabin together (without running water), so the cabin trip was scrapped. To say Jared was bummed would be an understatement. He'd been looking forward to this trip for months! I promised I would try to salvage his birthday, so we planned a day trip to Annapolis for Saturday afternoon. Now, Emma gets pretty restless if she's stuck in the car for more than half an hour, and it takes a little over an hour to get to Annapolis - so the car ride was less than stellar. But I was still optimistic the rest of the day would be okay. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the weather was perfect... except it was freezing cold and our dear daughter happened to be at the tail end of an "I don't want to wear my mittens!" phase. She also happens to be in an "I want to walk on my own but I don't want to hold your hand" phase. Ahhh, life with a toddler. 98% of the time, Emma is a truly awesome and great kid... but that 2% she's not is pretty dang miserable for all involved. We were quite the spectacle walking around the Naval Academy with our half frozen baby being carried against her will. Yep - we were those parents. Did I mention it was Jared's birthday? Yeah.

I will say that Bancroft Hall was really impressive (just a little fancier than my dorm at MSU) and Memorial Hall was somber and powerful. (Thanks for the recommendation, Jill!)

After touring the Academy, we made our way over to the shops and restaurants of historic Annapolis. Emma was still pretty miserable at this point, so we made a stop for something sweet and to warm our bones a bit. Things started to pick up after that, and before we headed to dinner at Joss Sushi (heads up if you go there that they don't have high chairs or booster seats, but are otherwise family friendly) we stopped into an oil and vinegar shop called Seasons. Jared and I are pretty big fans of anything balsamic, and had a field day tasting all the different flavors. We walked out with an 18 year aged Balsamic, an amazing Black Cherry Balsamic, and a Tuscan herb infused olive oil. It was kind of the highlight of our whole day, and we spent a good part of Sunday planning out how we would use our new purchases at dinner that night.

We decided on homemade Focaccia bread to accompany a simple roast chicken dinner, and for dessert - ohhhhh, this dessert... vanilla ice cream topped with fresh cherries cooked in a black cherry balsamic reduction. It was heavenly. HEAVENLY. My mouth is still watering looking at the picture.

So, all in all, Jared's birthday was still kind of a bust... but Emma has worn her mittens every day since Saturday, and we had some seriously kickass food on Sunday night thanks to our Seasons haul. And there's always next year.

NEW LOOK, NEW NAME, SAME OLD CONTENT

You may remember me mentioning that one of my goals for 2013 was to rebrand Made by Bird. Well, as you can see, I can cross that goal off my list! And I'm so thrilled with the result. It feels like me, but grown up. (Which, considering I'm 31, a wife, and a mom, I guess I kind of am.) The feather is a nod to my lifelong nickname, Bird, and the font is just the right combination of pretty and whimsical. (Check out more of the design elements below.) I really struggled with whether or not to keep the name "Made by Bird"... it's been my blog name for nearly 4 years! But with all my photography and design stuff being associated with my actual name, and my keen opposition to having two separate websites, I felt it was time to switch everything over to simply "Allie Shellaway." But don't worry, I'll still be posting about all the same stuff. The mood and tone of the blog won't change. (Note that I will be changing to URL over to madebybird.com next week... it's a whole other ball of wax and I just haven't had time to tackle it yet.)

So, I really hope you guys like the redesign. I have a few more tweaks I need to make to the blog - like a proper footer with a search bar. I upgraded to Thesis 2.0 (from 1.8) for the redesign and I'm still figuring out my way around. Fun fact, everything I know about web design I've learned on the fly. It's a little chaotic but it gets the job done.

Thanks for your continued support over the years (I think this is my 3rd or so redesign of the site, but certainly the biggest change so far.) There'd be no point to any of this without you. Seriously.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: AL GIESLER

February's Desert Island Discs are brought to you by another Texan and one of the most genuinely nice guys I know, Mr. Al Giesler. (Check out his equally super nice wife's amazing sewing blog, Moon Thirty.) I first met Al in the Galaxy Barn at Pickathon 2010 while waiting for Langhorne Slim to play what was to become one of the best shows I've ever seen. Al is an avid concert goer, and has seen most everyone worth seeing (and usually right before they got huge), so it doesn't surprise me at all that so many of the tunes on Al's list are live recordings. There's just something different about the energy from a live show, and few people appreciate that more than Al...

Click here to listen to all the tracks!

1) The Weight (live at The Last Waltz) by The Band (featuring The Staple Singers)... Volumes have been written about this song and its impact on the landscape of history, musically and otherwise. One of the best things I have ever done is see Levon Helm perform. Frail and ill of health, he presided over his drum kit with the energy of a twenty year old. It breaks my heart knowing how much Levon didn’t want to see The Band come to an end.

Fact: Mavis Staples' clapping in this song is the best clapping in any song of all time. Period. - Allie

2) Let Me Roll It (live on Wings Over America) by Paul McCartney & Wings... I saw my first concert of my choosing when I was 12 years old. I have watched people perform on stage as often as I can ever since. I haven’t seen Sir Paul live, but this song represents to me what a concert should feel like… the energy of the crowd, that guitar lick, lighter in the air, singing along at the top of your voice … absolute bliss! (For the record, that first show was current Geico pitchman Eddie Money opening for April Wine.)

3) The Next Best Western by Richard Shindell... Good songwriting will put you right in the heart of the story. Richard isn’t writing hits, but he is writing songs that inspire other songwriters.

“At four a.m. on 80 East, It’s in the nature of the beast To wonder if there’s something missing… I am wretched, I am tired. but the preacher is on fire And I wish I could believe”

4) All Things Must Pass by George Harrison... I have a lot of love for The Beatles, and have also spent a fair amount of time with the solo works of both John and Paul. Outside of a greatest hits compilation, I had not given George’s offerings much attention. But recently I purchased a turntable, and I have hit a few jackpots at the casinos (read: really good vinyl at Goodwill stores). My love for George grows with every spin of this tune.

5) Dreams Can Chase You Down (Daytrotter version) by The Low Anthem... A band that I had to see live to fully appreciate. They make music with the most unique and unconventional instruments ever to grace a stage. This song was written by Dan Leftkowitz, a founding member of the group. He had left by the time they recorded this as a bonus track on a numbered, letterpress printed version of their third studio album Smart Flesh. The version they recorded for their second Daytrotter is absolutely gut wrenching with the emotion they deliver.

6) Houses on the Hill by Whiskeytown... Oh to be a fly on the wall when Ryan Adams, Caitlin Cary and crew were penning these songs. Musically and lyrically this gets about as close to perfection for me as it gets.

7) Box of Rain by Grateful Dead... Damn, that A chord comes crashing in and is your entry to one of the most important recordings of the last 50 years. American Beauty and the Grateful Dead shaped my musical horizons permanently. Their live energy was the benchmark that all others are held against. It’s not about musicianship, but they can hold their own. It’s not about lyrics, but they are strong. It’s about that sense of “we are all in this thing together,” about enjoying the show with every sense of your being with all your brothers and sisters in synch. Not many measure well against this benchmark but every once and awhile a band comes along with another course correction…

8) Salvation Song (live at Merlefest 2006) by The Avett Brothers... I live a blessed life. I see a lot of live music and I love sharing the experience with my friends. Several years ago my wife, best friend and I went on a roadie to see Dylan in Vegas. On the trip we were spinning the current (Feb/Mar 2006) Paste Magazine sampler disc. One of the tunes kept coming into our consciousness and inevitably one of us would ask, “Who the hell is this again?” The tune was Talk on Indolence by The Avett Brothers. To be honest I wasn’t sure if loved or hated it, but the song got my attention. We all saw them live later that year and a new benchmark was set. Maybe it’s their live show…with its unfiltered, give-all-you-got-every-time performance. Maybe it’s that they (band and crew) are some of the most genuine people you could ever meet. Maybe it’s the absolute respect they give to their fans, their peers and themselves. Maybe it’s the tunes. Whatever it is, it is pure, honest and true and you are missing out if you haven’t heard about “our” little secret.

Note that I couldn't find the Merlefest version, but the one in the link is from the same year and similarly awesome...

Thanks so much, Al!!! :)

P52: Week 5

This week's theme was Low Light... for this shot I used the Softbox Pro app for my iPad as my only light source. I held the iPad in one hand and the camera in the other and played around with the angles until I got something I liked. Oh, and sorry about the lack of makeup. ;)